“Berlin combines the culture of New York, the traffic system of Tokyo, the nature of Seattle, and the historical treasures of, well, Berlin.” – Hiroshi Motomura
Berlin caught me off guard more than any other city. It took so many different aspects and combined them into one of the most unique and fascinating places I’ve ever been. Before visiti
ng, when I thought of Berlin, I thought of Hitler and the Berlin Wall. While both of those things played a serious role in the city’s history, they do not define it. Actually, if you didn’t know where to look, you wouldn’t come across the wall very easily, and if you want to find some memory of Hitler, good luck… because there is none.
As a matter of fact, here’s a picture of the spot his gigantic bunker was located.
Of course a part of the wall is still up, and tourists from all over the world come to see it. The remaining portion of th
e wall definitely had an eerie feel to it. It was so interesting being able to see the changes the city has made since it came down just 22 years ago. Berlin is alive with commerce, music, culture and history. It had so much to offer and is somewhere I definitely recommend visiting.
The most memorable part of the trip though was definitely the Holocaust Memorial. When I first walked up to it, I assumed it was just some strange modern art display that I would never understand. It just looks like a maze of concrete blocks, all different random shapes and sizes. Luckily our tour guide stopped us and explained that it was a memorial for all the victims of the Holocaust. She explained that it was meant to blend in with the city, but the designer also wanted to create a sense of disorientation for the people walking through.
Still a little confused as to what these random blocks had to do with the multitude of people who lost their lives, I skeptically started walking through the memorial. A few yards into the memorial, I turned around and realized I had already been separated from my friend. As I continued walking, I felt anxious and lost. I had no idea what direction I had come from at all. I stopped to get my bearings and that’s when it hit me. That was the point, disorientation, and believe me it worked. I know that feeling couldn’t even come close to what the people persecuted during the Holocaust felt, but it’s something I will never forget.
Location: Berlin, Germany
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Your description of your experience in the Holocaust memorial was really touching, it’s amazing that it had such an impact on you, thanks for sharing! Hope you’re enjoying your semester abroad 🙂