WJU and Classrooms without Borders

Next week, four WJU history students and one faculty member will have the opportunity to travel to Poland and visit the sites of the Holocaust. The Pittsburgh-based organization Classrooms without Borders has been bringing students and educators to Poland for several years now, in an attempt to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are transmitted on to future generations, and it graciously invited WJU to participate. We will be updating the blog during our week in Poland, so be sure to check back with us next week.

WJU Students, Berlin & its History: An Appraisal, Part III

The Kaiser Wilhelm Gedaechtniskirche

Our next post comes from Marque Marry, class of '15.

As a country, Germany has gone through many incarnations during its existence. While being fortunate enough to attend a Jesuit University that recognizes the importance that culture plays on shaping an individuals mind, body, and spirit, I along with other WJU students received the opportunity to see the many different rebirths that Germany has gone through, as reflected in its political leaders, architecture, and history. Two periods that were portrayed vastly differently from one another while we toured lush and vibrant palaces or dug through the hidden and secretive histories of Germany during World War II, were the Prussian/Imperial Period and the era of the Third Reich (the Second World War and the Holocaust).

WJU Students, Berlin & its History: An Appraisal, Part II

The next post in our continuing series on WJU's Berlin trip comes from Falon Weidman, another member of the class of '17.

Gendarmentmarkt

One of the most valuable experiences of traveling to a foreign country is the opportunity to gain a better understanding of how that country views its past. By understanding the past, it is possible to realize why events occurred, and how better decisions can be made now and in the future. Germany is no exception to this, and the way Germans view their history is especially interesting. The country has a rich cultural, political, and historical background, full of events of both great pride and shame for the country. 

WJU Students, Berlin & its History: An Appraisal

Over the next few weeks, Wheeling Jesuit University students will be posting on how they perceived Germany, its history, and how the German state portrays its history based on our wonderful visit to the German capital in May. Berlin is our favorite city to visit due to its rich and, at times, overwhelming history, as well as the energy and vitality that pulsates throughout its streets and neighborhoods.

These observations will be written by all levels of WJU history majors, from those who just completed their freshman year to graduating seniors. Our first author is Rebekah Valentine, class of 2017.

Berlin Day 9: The Return Home

After having one of the best nights together in Berlin, we all woke up the following morning very early in order to start our journey back home. While nothing too exciting happened during our flight or in the airport, the time was spent reliving the best moments of the trip, which made it so much more enjoyable!

Berlin is such a fun, exciting, and unique city, which makes it difficult for one to not have a great time. It is also filled with such an important and intriguing history that is easy to see while simply walking through the streets. Berlin was an excellent choice for this trip because the information that we learned at the numerous museums, monuments, and sites we visited throughout our stay in Germany complemented what we have learned in our various history classes at WJU.

During our flight home, we spent our time recalling stories from the trip. These stories made it clear that we all learned so much about the long history of the city while also having a great time filled with excitement and laughter. We joked about our tour guide from the Olympic Stadium, discussed our favorite food from the city as well as our favorite meals, laughed about Dr. Liedel being run over by a bicycle, and, of course, spent time playing the official game of the trip: charades. While reminiscing made leaving even more difficult, it made us realize how much fun we had and how many memories we created!

During the trip, we all grew closer and became friends with people we didn’t know well before. It was exciting to meet and learn about one another throughout the week and share some great moments together. As students, we all learned innumerable things about Berlin's unique history as well as those of other city's such as Potsdam and Dresden. Overall, the trip was an amazing and rewarding experience that we are all thankful to have had!

Berlin Day 8: A Dreary Day at a Dreary Place: Sachsenhausen

Today, on a fittingly dreary day, we visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

 

After a S-Bahn ride and a relatively long walk, we arrived at the camp. Armed with rain jackets, umbrellas, and cameras, we ventured into the massive complex. 

While wading through large puddles of water and trekking along the mud covered paths, we made our way to the various buildings within the site. One of the first areas we visited was a reconstructed barracks that housed an exhibition on Jewish prisoners at Sachsenhausen. While the camp never functioned as a site of extermination, Jews were held there during the late 1930s and early 1940s. This hall contained a reconstructed barracks replete with bathroom.

At the very heart of the site, sits a monument that immediately catches the eye of the visitors.

 

Another exhibition details the history of the camp in what was once the camp's kitchen. In the cellar of this building, artwork drawn by the prisoners remains. 

As one makes his way around the complex, one of the most disturbing areas comes into view: the extermination pit, where numerous victims were executed.

The pit also serves as a symbol of more than 20,000 Soviet prisoners of war murdered at the camp (even though they were killed in a different area). Next to the pit, the crematoria complex has been unearthed and a monument constructed following German unification stands within its borders.

Finally, the camp also had a very interesting look at the Soviet use of the complex as a place of imprisonement and repression during the immediate years of Red Army occupation.

While the rain spoiled our planned trip to the zoo, we nonetheless concluded our visit on a high note. The group went to the Hofbrauhaus for great German food, desserts, and drinks. The live band, which played both German and English songs, led many students and even a faculty member out onto the dance floor. This was an enjoyable night for everyone and ended yet another outstanding trip for the students of Wheeling Jesuit University. 

Berlin Day 7: A Trip to Dresden

Today we awoke with an early start to catch a two hour train ride to Dresden.

Many of us used this time to catch up on some much needed rest. Arriving in Dresden, we traveled by S-Bahn to reach the Bundeswehr Museum of Military History.

Here we learned about the influence of warfare on German culture from the 1300s to the modern day. One painting depicted a period of the Wars of Liberation with the tagline of "The Prussians are Coming" signaling the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, on June 18, 1815.

In addition to the chronological examination of German military history, various thematic exhibits that included a depiction of how animals -- such as elephants, horses, dogs, cats, and even bees -- were used in warfare or for scientific advancement were found throughout the museum. Further on we were exposed to exhibits that showed how warfare influenced culture in the form of music, clothing, multimedia, and even toys as well as ones that highlighted the theme of suffering and how cultures deal with the loss of loved ones inherent in war. A central theme to this museum was the idea that war has served as catalyst both for protection and destruction, a contrast which can be seen through the various bunkers and bombs.

On the top floor of the museum you could look out across the city of Dresden and take in the magnificence from afar of what we would soon see up close.

Following a short S-Bahn ride into the city we walked to the Frauenkirche, which had been destroyed by allied air forces during the Second World War.

The East German government left the church in ruins as an example of British and American barbarism. The rubble itself had been left untouched and as much of the original building as possible was used in the reconstruction. Like many old churches in Europe, the grandeur of Frauenkirche far surpasses that of anything found back home.

After this, we were free to explore Dresden for the remaining four and a half hours that we had. Unfortunately during this day trip out of the Berlin, the weather decided to take a turn for the worst and we were caught up in quite the thunder storm! There was heavy and persistent rain for the better part of the day, but we braved it nonetheless and discovered a taste of what Dresden has to offer. Even the could not ruin the splendor that is the city of Dresden.

Some of our group went to see the Otto Dix exhibition in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Dix was a soldier during the war and portrayed his experiences through his paintings and drawings. His most famous work, The Dresden Tryptich, served as the exhibition's centerpiece.

Others chose to partake in some of the shopping that Dresden had to offer. Here one could find shops filled with beautiful but expensive goods, such as ceramics, fine scarves, cuckoo clocks, and intricately detailed figurines. Of course a trip to Germany would not be complete without picking up a Christmas ornament or two! Supper was also enjoyed by most at various different restaurants. Personally I had a coffee macchiato with a few bits of Toblerone chocolate to sweeten it up, and a flat bread pizza-like thing with Hollandaise sauce, asparagus, ham, and cheese on it.

It was all extremely delicious and the atmosphere of the restaurant was great! We would once again end the day with a train ride, though this time it would take three hours! Some fun R&R occurred on the train ride back to Berlin when everyone took time to have some fun, visiting each other’s cars, singing, playing games, or discussing the relative small size of our accompanying super-hero.