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

Our series on WJU students in Berlin  picks back up . . .

Jake Zirkle, class of '14, wrote the following assessment of Berlin and its engagement with German history.

Around every corner, one can find something of historical significance in Berlin. From the Imperial period to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin’s history is just waiting to be explored. Germany has all of its history on display for everyone to see, some of which instills a great sense of pride for the German people, while other events bring shame. 

The Topography of Terror

The topic that is of particular interest is the World War II period and how it is viewed by the German people. The crimes committed by the Germans during this war are not merely a footnote, but rather a focus across the country. Many of the important sites in and around Berlin are still preserved, or at least marked so that visitors can see where many of these crimes originated. The Topography of Terror and the Wannsee Villa are two fantastic examples of this. The Topography of Terror is a museum complex that is located over the remains of the SS and Gestapo headquarters. Throughout this museum, visitors can look at numerous images depicting the men who committed or planned these atrocities.  

The Wannsee House

The Wannsee Villa is a beautiful structure overlooking a breathtaking lake, but inside it holds a terrible secret. This was the location of the Wannsee Conference, the meeting of senior Nazi officials regarding the implementation of the Final Solution.

These structures represent such a negative time in German history and yet they are still standing today as a reminder to the victims and the perpetrators. Germany’s willingness to accept its past transgressions and its attempts to reconcile with its former victims makes Germany truly remarkable. This stands in contrast to what we saw in Vienna last. In nearly every museum we visited in Austria, the World War II section would be small and the blame would solely be placed on the “Nazis.” I commend Germany for owning up to its mistakes and attempting to move forward.