Each spring I take Asbury University students to Berlin and Krakow to study aspects of the Holocaust. We learn about the euthanasia efforts in Nazi-Germany as well as the concentration and extermination camp system. Among other events, students are led through guided tours of Sachsenhausen, Ravensbruck, and Auschwitz. Accounts of the victims, perpetrators, bystanders, and rescuers, are each confronted and considered by the students as they attempt to wade into the perplexing waters of the what, how, and whys of these horrible events. Furthermore, the holocaust narrative is used as a portal into a raw and unvarnished examination of the darkness that besets the human condition. To learn more about these trips (non-AU students are welcome to apply), visit the Asbury University website.
Holocaust Studies Tour, 2024, Day 5
House of the Wannsee Conference and Free Berlin Today we first traveled to the southwest of Berlin to the idyllic resort town on the lake
Holocaust Studies Tour, 2024, Day 4
A Day in the City of Luther Today the group boarded a south-bound region train to a different German province, Saxony-Anhalt, and the city of
Holocaust Studies Tour, 2024, Day 3
The Memorial at Brandenburg I’m going to be super brief today. I need to catch up on sleep. We spent the day with historian and
Holocaust Studies Tour, 2024, Day 2
Walking Tour of Berlin Our first full day of the tour was designed to ease ourselves into our topic and to gain familiarity with the
Holocaust Studies Tour, 2024, Day 1
Arriving in Berlin, Getting Familiar with Alexanderplatz On this first day we gathered everyone from the airport and made our way to our hotel, sitting
Ideas Go Places
About ten years ago, I found myself in mid-career and looking for some new direction. A good friend of mine, Dr. Brian Shelton, who had
The Courage of My Students
Over the past 10 years I’ve had the privilege of leading a Holocaust-themed study abroad experience for undergraduates at Asbury University. After taking nearly 200
Germany/Poland ’23, Day 13
So Long, Kraków Today was our last day in Kraków, and indeed our last day of the tour. It was basically “Free Kraków” – however,