Today is such a hard one. We start at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. Dachau was established in 1933 and was the first concentration camp. It served as a model for all the camps that came after. It is so moving to walk the grounds where prisoners walked and hear the stories of what it was like to live that way. We saw the barracks and how they progressed from housing 200 at the start to housing 2000 just prior to liberation. We also walked the pathways where those still living had to spread the ashes of the dead. We took the path the prisoners would have taken from the disinfection room, to the disrobing room, to the 'showers' (gas chambers) to the crematorium. There was sadness and tears as it really hits home that the holocaust was real not just something in a textbook. There is also disbelief that humans can actually become so callous. As difficult as it was I hope the kids always keep a piece of this experience with them so they can honor the words of the survivors - Never Again.
We then had a free afternoon to explore Munich. Some went to the Deutches museum, others shopping, some just sat in a square or beirgarden and watched the people. Others went back to the hotel and did some laundry. Most made it back to the Marienplatz to watch the Glockenspiel.
Then off to the Hofbrauhaus and the rowdiest bar on the planet. (OK, that might be an exaggeration.) It was terrible food and the show took a long time to get started but we had fun anyway. The kids made some new friends of a group of Japanese retirees who had had a bit much to drink and were feeling friendly. I'll try to borrow one of the kids memory cards so I can steal a picture tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment