“There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them”
~Winston Churchill
5/15/2022
Today was highly enlightening as we visited the concentration camp Dachau. It was a tough trip because of the horrible history and past of the sight, but it was an important visit nonetheless. I learned a lot about how concentration camps functioned during WWII. Since Dachau was in operation for 12 years, we learned about how it transitioned from a prison for political opponents to a labor/work camp to eventually a concentration camp. We also learned a lot about the presentation of the camps in the media and the different kinds of propaganda fed to German citizens. The visit forced me to think about humanity in general and if we are doomed as a society to repeat our mistakes.
Even though we do our best to learn from the past, there are still forms of discrimination and wars today. While the people targeted or the countries fighting may change, the overall concepts remain consistent. It was interesting to talk to my fellow plus three group members because I think that everyone got something different out of the experience. I have read many books on WWII, so many of the things I heard were familiar. However, I know some of my fellow group mates haven’t, and a lot of what they discovered was shocking. Many people in my group were surprised at the enormity of the camp. After the visit to Dachau, we headed back to the hotel. I went to Ali Babas Donner Kebabs for lunch on Jason’s recommendation. The food was excellent, and I want to go back there again!
I haven’t had one lousy falafel in Germany, and I think it’s due to its proximity to Turkey and the number of Turkish immigrants here. Following lunch, I relaxed for a bit before meeting my fellow BMW group members to work on our presentation. We decided to meet at Starbucks. The Starbucks in Germany had fewer fresh pastries than in America, and I was sorely disappointed with the dry banana nut bread I ordered there. Once we divided up the work and discussed our ideas for the project, I decided to head back to my room to relax. I called my parents, and then at 7:30, Daniel, Jason, Semira, and I met with Dr. Feick to go through our plan for our presentation and get tips on how we should format our assignment.
Daniel, Jason, and I stayed a little longer and had an engaging conversation with Dr. Feick. I always love getting to know people better, especially in smaller groups, because I learn about each individual. Then I took a shower and played games on my phone until I was tired enough to fall asleep. Thank you for taking the time to read this! Until Next Time!