Of Beginnings and Endings
Today was our hardest day thus far. Not as many steps taken nor as many locations visited, but the content was tremendously heavy. Before places like Auschwitz were even imagined, Brandenburg was. It was the location where what had previously only been imagined was first put into practice – the medicalized and state-sanctioned killing of other people. The critical first step taken at this facility and the practical, methodological, and contextual lessons that were learned by the perpetrators here in Brandenburg would form the procedural foundation for the millions of deaths that would follow.
Our day started when we met our guide, historian Christian Marx, at the Trains to Life and Trains to Death Memorial in downtown Berlin. Then, we made our way to the regional town of Brandenburg where we learned a bit about this historical city before we focused for several hours on what happened at this location. Upon our return, imagine our surprise to find 3 newly installed Stolpersteine just outside our hotel door!
Below are some pictures from the day.
Tomorrow is Wittenberg and all-things Luther. An opportunity not to be missed and a much-needed emotional break.