Stumbling Stones
One of the things I wondered about before I left, was how Germans today address their past. It's kind of a curious thing. On the one hand, it's part of the German identity now... but on the other, few people alive today had any role in Nazi Germany. As I have gotten to know my professors, listened to their stories and seen parts of the country I have become very much aware of this... specter. One of my teachers talked about how she was in Berlin during the bombardment and remembers people dying all around her, as her family abandoned their home and fled the Russian Army. She talked about how Germans are the forgotten victims of the war; I found this extremely provocative, and not necessarily in a bad way. It's just really interesting. She tried to explain to us what her parents generation went through and how much it really was about survival for many Germans. Another of my teachers has spoken about how she feels guilt about what the Nazi's did, though she can't be older than 25. It's really interesting the things they have talked about. I've noticed that we all have SO many questions, but it feels somewhat inappropriate; we're lucky to have such open teachers.
Anyway! Stumbling stones! This is a memorial project by Gunter Demnig. These stumbling stones are placed outside of the homes of Jews that were deported and killed during Hitler's regime. Each stone has the persons name, the date they we're deported, and where and when they died. There is a significant amount of research that goes into each one, to make sure that they're accurate. I'm always surprised to see them. They are spread throughout the city. They are really beautiful-I think they're brass. Every so often... you just run across them, and it always makes me think a little bit. It makes me sad to see these, but I think it's a nice way for these people's legacies to live on. You know- lost, but not forgotten.
