Thursday we got an early start and headed out to Potsdam. Our first stop was the Einstein Tower after a brisk 2K walk up a hill...awesome for me since I haven't run once while here and feel like I needed the exercise. It was a really interesting building to see. I enjoy listening to the architecture students discuss the various structures we have seen. While I am a history major and always go right for the history of a place, the architectural aspect gives places a more multi-faceted history. I usually don't understand half of what they are saying but I'm intrigued by what they talk about and their passion for their studies. Oh yeah, and in case you didn't know...they like models of buildings...a lot.
Next we went to the grounds of the Sanssouci palace and toured the guest house, then walked about a mile through the grounds to the palace itself. My only wish is that we could have seen it in the summer when the flora is in blume, the pictures I have seen of it at these times are beautiful.
In the afternoon we toured a former prison that held enemies of the state for both the Nazis and the Stasi. We listened to a very personal and moving story from a former prisoner of the Stasi (not a prisoner at Potsdam however) and were able to ask him questions about living in East Germany. It is amazing that such horrible things happened such a short time ago and even more amazing that this man could share his touching story with us.
Walking distance with group: 9.10
Total walking distance: Pedometer smashed when fell out of pocket while running across the street :(
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I thought that this was one of the most interesting days so far. Getting to hear first hand about the political prisoner's experience was something that I have never been able to do before. I was surprised to hear not only about how involved the government was with this man's life, but also how recently this all took place. When we learn things about the Nazis and World War II, it is easier for me to distance myself from them because they took place so long ago. Hearing about this political prisoner's experiences and hardships had a great impact on me because the things that he and other East Berlin residents went through took place only twenty years ago. It is amazing that the people of East Berlin have been able to pick up the pieces and rebuild their city. I can't even begin to imagine how incredibly hard life must have been for East Berliners, but being able to hear the political prisoner's story has given me a better idea.
ReplyDeleteFor me Friday has been an absolutely great day; expect for the weather. It has been cold and wet today and everyone knows that is not fun. Yet we preservered and saw a number of sites.the Jewish Museum was interesting, but, a place that it could be easy to get lost in. I found the new art mueseum to be a real cool place; even if it is just a glass box. The Berlin state libary was very big. it is probably the biggest libary I have ever seen, but, it diffinatly looked like it came from the 70's. All in all it was a good day that showed me yet again how many wonderful sites and history this city has.
ReplyDeleteSo today was a great day all in all from the beginning. Desiree and I got to go to Ravensbrück and it was the highlight of my trip. The camp was much better than Sachsenhausen, I truly got a feel of a concentration camp while I was there. She and I were also the only two at the site visiting creating an additional eerie feel. The stories we read and saw were crazy and hard to believe, but I appreciated having that opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThen the day got worse, me and my fellow roommates were robbed thousands of dollars worth of stuff. And that is self explanatory.
Getting to hear the former prisoners story was the best part about today. Being able to get a first hand glimpse of how the prisoners were treated makes the situation seem more real. Sometimes its almost like were just going through the motions of the museums we walk in. So I feel like I have to stop and actually think about what happened. Walking through the garden to get to Sanssouci palace would have been much better in the spring time because we would have been able to see the statues. I did enjoy seeing the seashell room in the room in the summer house. It was interesting how those structures were formed. I look forward to the rest of the trip, providing we don't get robbed again. :(
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