Getting up was even harder today, but a cold shower or the prepared breakfast with coffee woke us up. After having had a short break, we heard a story about a brilliant, black American singer, Marian Anderson. Her touching life story brought us closer to understanding the topic of slavery. We also sang a song she once had been singing to call attention to slavery and their lives. After that we drove through the cultural heartland of German literature, Weimar.
The reason for this was to visit the former concentration camp Buchenwald. Especially the Americans were not sure what to expect. An introductory film informed us about Buchenwald's cruel past and the first tears rolled down our cheeks. Untold feeling were in my mind, too. Having already visited a concentration camp before, I was a bit prepared for the trip but still unable to block the overcoming feelings of sadness, shame and pain. None of us was able to imagine what it was was like then and who would want to.
But beside the sadness of the trip, the great concert in Bad Frankenhausen completed the day. I saw people's amazement, joy and people whose laws dropped when they heard us. I felt proud of us making people that happy and giving them an awesome experience. The little light of ourselves made the people's light shine as well.
Sometimes pictures need no words ..........
From another German student, Stephanie Lueer:
Es gibt nicht viel darueber zu sagen, was wir gesehen haben, was als ein Gebaeude vor uns stand und so viel Geschichte in sich trug. Es was die Stimmung, die uns alle bewegte; das Schicksal und die Geschichten, die jeder Zeit an diesem Ort erzaehlen zu wollen schien. Viele waren nicht faehig alle Eindruecke und Gefuehle zu ordnen, oder sie sinnvoll zu begreifen, weil es ein Ort voller Leid, Traenen, Tod, Schuld und Hoffnungslosigkeit ist. Die vielen schrecklichen Orte, die uns mit dem Tod tausender Menschen und ihren Qualen erdrueckten, kosteten Ueberwindung.
Eigentlich wollte ich nicht sehen, was passierte dennoch versuchte ich jedes Puzzelstueck zu erreichen, was das Bild, dass solche Grausamkeit rechtfertigen wuerde, erscheinen laesst.
Doch das wichtige an all den so volltiefer Erschuetterung vergossene Traenen ist, dass wir diese Erfahrung auf unser Leben beziehen. Boese ist immer unter uns und davon koennen wir lernen, aber lerne gut zu sein.
Location:Buchenwald and Bad Frankenhausen
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