Berlin Day 4 (Part 2)

Besides the written information provided in some parts of Sachsenhausen, one significant aspect of the space is its focus on sameness. No new monuments disturb the central area, and some structures have been protected from further decay. There is a clock on the camp's entrance, but it doesn't move. Several sources have stated the clock's time, 11:07, as the hour of the camp's liberation.

After taking the train back into Berlin, we celebrated Evelyn's birthday, getting dinner at a traditional German schnitzel restaurant. We were served giant plates of meat and potatoes and when the band started playing "Sweet Caroline," we joined the dance floor. We enjoyed traditional German cakes upon returning to the hotel.

-Eden '25


 ...


We started off our day bright and early at 7 am. By this point, we'd acclimated to the 9 hour time difference between Berlin and Los Angeles. Right after breakfast, we gathered as a collective in our hostel's lounge area for a reflective activity. Thinking about space in an urban setting, what space do we take up? What space do we share? What space do we give?



What space do we take up? As a group 16 students we take up a considerable amount of space on sidewalks and train stations and, in a general sense, also as travelers. 

Our first stop of the day was at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church where Greg gave a presentation on a nearby street, where it is believed the architect of the Armenian Genocide, Talaat Pashar, was assassinated by an Armenian student, Soghomon Tehlirian, whose family had been killed in the genocide. Despite the historical significance of the event Greg shared with us, because of the space tourists take up, cities like Berlin sometimes make conscious decisions to prioritize capital gain over acknowledging moments of historical significance. The street address, 27 Hardenbergstrasse, in the interim had been subsumed by the adjacent house number (28), now the site of a luxury hotel. Though I understanding finding a balance between the two is difficult as many cities survive off of tourism, it important to recognize these events of historical significance. 





What space do we share? In one of the exhibitions at Sachsenhausen, I walked down the steps to an underground kitchen area. I then made the striking realization that I could feel the grooves made from those who once walked here through the concavity of the floor. The chill wind in the air, crunch beneath my feet, still silence only interrupted by the squawk of the crows, I was reminded that we share this space and these seemingly small experiences with those who were once in Sachsenhausen.









What space do we share? For dinner today, we ate at an authentic German schnitzel restaurant with fantastic food and music. As we commemorated Evelyn's birthday, a band began to play "Sweet Caroline," and every student in our group gave their two feet to the space we shared within the dance floor of the German restaurant.



With full stomachs and tired feet, we walked back to the hotel for cake to celebrate Evelyn and end the day.

Throughout today and throughout this entire trip, we give the space to learn, grow, and experience. We've taken the time to learn about various monuments in Berlin, listen to history that often remains untold/unknown and experience what it means to be an urban explorer in both the natural and concrete forest that is Berlin. Stepping away from today I've come to realize the importance of acknowledging space and the role we play in it. 

-Jorge '25







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Berlin Day 8

Image
Yesterday, we started the day at Mauerpark Flea Market. Navigated by Greg and August, we arrived at the market filled with vendors and food stalls, adjacent to a city park with children running on grass and playing on swings.  Mr. Feldmeth tasked us to find an object of Berlin's past, photograph it, and learn its story. While doing this, we were encouraged to look for souvenirs for family members at the market, something they would greatly appreciate, something meaningful, something that didn't simply say "Berlin" on it. We encountered people selling antiques, post cards, and even passports from the former East Germany, along with previously owned possessions, such as silverware, clocks, clothing, and jewelry. While we were there, I thought of my family the entire time and the countless Sundays we've spent at Smorgasburg in Downtown Los Angeles; the atmosphere of the flea market felt almost identical to the one at home, yet my family wasn't there to make the f...
Read more

Berlin Day 6

Image
We started our day by making a stop at a large array of "stolperstein," which are brass plaques commemorating Jewish people who were persecuted under the Nazis. These ones were placed outside of the federal office where these people worked. These stones  had been affected by time and weather, so using some basic restoration products, we cleaned each of the stones to bring them back to the original brass they once were. During this process, we read the people's names aloud, along with the years of birth and other information on the stones, including when they were forced to retire, fled the country, stripped of their German citizenship, and/or arrested. As we cleaned the stones, several people stopped to comment on or ask about what we were doing, giving us an opportunity to explain to others the importance of commemorating those who were victimized by the Nazis.  ... Stolpersteine as encountered in-situ before restoration Stolpersteine post-restoration effort ... We then...
Read more

Berlin Day 3

Image
To start off our third day in Berlin, we went to our first German supermarket! With utter excitement, we scattered around the store, perusing the numerous aisles stacked with German foods, snacks, and beverages to find what we would eat for lunch.  After making all of our purchases, we headed to Prinzessinnengarten, a beautiful garden that served as a perfect example of this trip's theme, "Berlin: Monuments and Memory." Prinzessinnengarten was home to lush gardens and many graves, some dating back to the 1800s. By seeing these graves alongside the beautiful gardens promoting urban life, we were able to see the interconnection between today's monuments and memories. While the windy weather made our stroll through the garden a little chilly at times, the winds also made everything seem more alive. We even saw a red fox! After Prinzessinnengarten, we visited the "Floating University," where we learned about urban ecology and water conservation.  Then we ate our...
Read more