Another day in Berlin

It probably won't surprise you that I have been go-go-go since I've landed in Berlin. And once again, this post will be short and sweet. We have today (Saturday) and tomorrow in Berlin before we hop on an airplane for Krakow. I'm hoping on the plane ride I can write down some more posts and fill in the holes I know I'm leaving.

Anywho, yesterday we had breakfast in our hotel and then Julie arrived and we were off! Our first stop was the Jewish Memorial Berlin. The architecture of this building is particularly interesting and works well to evoke emotions and critical/deep thinking. This museum not only contained artifacts from the Holocaust, but also an extensive look of Jewish history. We only had two hours to explore, which definitely was not enough time. But of course, more on this later.

We nabbed lunch on the street (I had a falafel) and then headed to the Otto Weidt Museum. Weidt was the boss of a brush making company and mainly employed the deaf and blind. As WWII progressed, he became a safe haven for blind Jews and also illegally housed a few families in the various nooks and crannies of his house/factory. Unfortunately, most of his employees were taken away and put in Theresienstadt Ghetto, which was considered to be a "better" place to be, even though that was a lie. He did his best to smuggle in food and supplies to his workers through cleverly worded postcards. A few of his workers did survive and one particular survivor was the one who helped really get this museum off the ground (it originally started as a college project and not meant to last).

After that tour, it was on a train for about a half hour ride. Our final destination was the Wannsee Conference House and the spot most known for the "Final Solution" (the total destruction of the Jews). There we had the most informative and opinionated tour guide who did an amazing job. There were so many fascinating aspects of this museum. I had several favorite parts, but I most particularly liked listening to translated trial transcripts of Reinhard Heydrich, who took notes at this 90 minute meeting. I could have spent a lot of time there, but unfortunately, the museum was closing and we had to go.

The group took the train back and then split up for dinner. Most of us went to place nearby and then got to navigate transportation back to our hotel. Lucky for us, I love mass public transportation so despite not knowing much German, we got back safe and sound.

As you can read, another busy day. Need to grab breakfast before heading out again! Much more to come!!!!!