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

Soviet Memorial in Tiergarten

Our fourth installment in our students' look at Berlin and its presentation of German history is written by Emily Teachout, class of '14.


While in Germany, I noticed that the Germans seem to face their past head on. There is no denial of any events from the past, especially of Germany’s participation in World War II. Even though it would obviously be hard for Germany to deny anything that happened during World War II, they certainly did not ignore it or make their actions more opaque. I felt like this was the most discussed part of Berlin’s history. At numerous museums were Nazi uniforms, pictures, and propaganda posters. 

Watchtower at Sachsenhausen

We also visited the Holocaust memorial, which was in a highly populated and visited area of the city, as well as Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. It was clear that this part of history is not ignored, but rather emphasized and made quite apparent.

When we were in Austria last year, Vienna seemed to focus on the beauty, the royalty, and the wealth of the city. Berlin, on the other hand, focuses more on the reality and the hardships of its people. It is a more eclectic and grungy city, which is what makes it so exciting and appealing. It embraces its past and this can easily be seen throughout the city and in the people as well. I felt like the city wants visitors to know everything that happened there and wants people to recognize that it is a place that has gone through so much and is still rebuilding.

The "Death Strip" and Wall at Bernauer Strasse

A perfect example of this is the Berlin Wall. This was another part of history on which Berlin focuses.

It was so interesting to still be able to see the difference between East and West Berlin. Also, the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, which still has a section of the wall, allowed visitors to 
go through the entire history of the wall.

Overall, Berlin is a city where anything can happen and where nearly everything has happened. The people of Berlin have experienced war, destruction, and the splitting of their city. All of this is something that they are not afraid to show, whether it be a positive part of their past or a negative part, because it makes the city what it is today.