Friday, January 02, 2009

To the end of the subway and back

Yesterday we took the subway until it ended and then walked a short distance to get to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. The cold and dreary weather matched the mood of the camp when we arrived. I can't really find the words to describe the emotions that I felt when I walked through the gates of Sachsenhausen and came face to face with the phase ''Arbeit Macht Frei'' entwined in the wrought iron. For many years in school I've learned about the Holocaust, so when I was walking through the grounds of the camp, all of my knowledge of the suffering of innocent people came together and it really hit home with me. I enjoyed reading the timeline of what happened in the camp because it helped piece everything together. I was shocked to learn that over 200,000 people who were considered political outcasts, biologically inferior, or racially inferior went through this camp. Walking the grounds gave me a greater understanding of what took place there along with immmeasurable respect for those who survived and those who lost their lives.

After our hike out to Sachsenhausen, we rode the subway back into town and shopped around for souvenirs. We ate döners at a local bistro across from the trainstation, which were super!!! We polished that tasty meal off with some good ol' starbucks and then continued to hop on and off the subway trains in an attempt to find more shops. Finally, we got back to the hotel and it felt really good to just hang out and chill.

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