On our first day in Berlin, we started off with a walking tour of the city and the impact that the war and dictatorship had upon it. The moment that really struck me and made me realize that I have finally arrived in such a historical place, was when we visited the Holocaust Memorial. Our tour guide talked about the making of and history behind the creation of the Holocaust memorial, done by an American artist. Our tour guide mentioned that the memorial was created simplistically, consisting of many different stone pillars, emphasizing objectivity of the memorial for all survivors, locals, and visitors to form their own interpretation. Although I appreciated the creative aspect of leaving room for each individual to have their own unique interpretation, I was disappointed in the lack of "wow factor" to the memorial. I felt that those affected by this horrific time deserved more. It was hard to tell that it was, The Holocaust Memorial, until our tour guide announced it. It made me recognize in that moment how important it is to be here and the impact that it has upon me. I noticed how passionately I felt about what the victims deserve yet I realized that it is still not that long ago that this all occurred and it is still a sensitive subject on how to appropriately give recognition to something so horrible.
From this, I started to reflect upon that "sensitivity" aspect of a controversial topic. In my human services discussions, we discuss racism heavily and the sensitivity that Americans and people from all over the world have upon this topic. I related these discussions back to the topics discussed on the tour of Berlin and the reactions that the people of Germany have upon these sensitive subjects. I will never truly know what it was like to be in their shoes, no matter how many facts I know or how much I learn about it. This has provided me with a sense of clarity on the reasoning behind the memorial and reactions of locals.
Another site that we visited that really struck me, was the DDR and the discussion that followed with the witness. Our tour guide at the DDR conveyed to us just how prevalent television was in portraying what life was like on the west side of Germany. I really found a theme of a want for freedom through media present throughout the tour of the DDC. The tour mentioned how people from the east would watch television to get a glimpse at life on the western side, creating a feeling of escape and freedom from the east. The witness whom we spoke to told us how he never could see the wall, that it was not possible from the east side, emphasizing again that media and television was their only outlet to the other world. But now, the wall helps him cope. It's a sign of what he has overcome. Again, it's impossible to really imagine what all must have endured, but it is an eye-opening moment being present here in such a historical place and getting a glimpse at what has occurred and what still remains.
-Tori Ford