Berlin Day 5: Wannsee and Potsdam

​Today our travels took us to Wannsee and Potsdam. For our first stop of the day we toured the Wannsee House where the infamous Wannsee Conference took place.

At this meeting, high-ranking Nazi 

officials discussed how to "solve the Jewish question." Upon first seeing the house, we were overcome by the beauty and tranquility of the villa. The lovely estate was surrounded by beautiful flowers and overlooked the peaceful Lake Wannsee. When looking at this historic place, it is hard to imagine the horrors that were contemplated so calmly behind the walls. Inside the house was a museum that outlined the development of the Holocaust. It also included numerous documents, which related to the conference as well as the crimes committed by these Nazi leaders.

 

​Next we visited Sanssouci.

This palace was the home of Frederick II and is located in a massive complex surrounded by lush gardens, magnificent buildings, and a beautiful church.

As we trekked through the expansive gardens we stumbled upon art and architecture in the Rococo style, which focused on ornate details and asymmetrical lines. The palace was built in the mid eighteenth century and served as a summer home for Frederick the Great. While there, we were able to spend time 

exploring the various palaces and gardens. One group of students walked to the Neues Palais and toured it. 

To finish off our day, we stopped by an Italian restaurant in Potsdam for pizza, pasta, and, obviously, spaghetti Eis!

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​At first glance, these two locations seem to belong to separate and distinct cultures. Upon further exploration,their histories actually have a connection. Sansoucci was built during the Enlightenment while the Wannsee Conference took place during the Second World War. Ideas from the Enlightenment transformed traditional anti-Semitism into policies of racial “science” that were implemented by the Nazis. Furthermore, the Volkish movement, the idea that pure Germans should be tied to German land, was a response to the Enlightenment. While these events occurred centuries apart, it allows the visitors to consider the evolution of anti-Semitic thinking that culminated in the Holocaust. Together, they highlight the complexity of modern German history.