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.

The Germans presented their history as one in which they were both victims and perpetrators. When it comes to the Holocaust, the German clearly feel very remorseful. The Memorial to the Murdered European Jews, for example, showed not only the number of Jews that were killed, but also personalized many of the victims' stories and how they died. Both the memorial and the German History Museum on Unter den Linden also displayed a lot of anti-Semitic propaganda that showed how the Nazi State both legitimized and promoted these murders. One thing that was noticeable about the Memorial to the Murdered European Jews was that it blended in very well with the surrounding city, showing that the Germans understand the need to integrate this particular piece of their past into the larger arc of German history.

The Germans also portrayed themselves in some cases as victims of war instead of the perpetrators. An example of this is when we were at the German History Museum in Berlin, and there was a description of a painting during World War I that talked about how the United States and other European countries were well off while the German were starving. The painting showed that the Germans were dealing with malnutrition and disease, but it did not show that other countries -- such as Russia/Soviet Union or sections of the Ottoman Empire --  were too. In conclusion, the Germans did a very good job of presenting their history as the perpetrators of the Holocaust, but they also showed themselves as victims in some of their descriptions in museums.