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.
Germany/Poland ’23, Day 5
Sachsenhausen On Saturday we visited our first of three camps, Sachsenhausen. This camp sits just north of Berlin and was important for several reasons –
Germany/Poland ’23, Day 4
Wittenberg, the Reformation, and a bit of Rail Confusion Day 4 was a break from the Holocaust and National Socialism, although there were contextual connections
Germany/Poland ’23, Day 3
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
Germany/Poland ’23, Day 2
Whole Lotta Walkin’ and Talkin’ Goin’ On Our first full day as a team in Berlin brought with it renewed strength, renewed hope for the
Germany/Poland ’23, Day 1
Arrivals and First Things It took most of the day, but we got everyone here safe and sound (minus one piece of luggage, sadly). Despite
Germany/Poland ’23, Day minus 1
(The students arrive tomorrow.) Day minus 1 allowed me to gain virtually all of the rail tickets we need (took nearly 2 hours, whew!), find
Misleading Intuitions
A reflection on 25 days with students in Germany and Poland One of the strongest intuitions of thought uncovered by psychological researchers has to do
Treblinka and Warsaw
Ghost Tracks, Stones of Remembrance, and a Reborn City Looking Westward The second and last day of this trip extension saw Paul and Mary Blair