A New Perspective

Today was our free Sunday to explore, and it was beautiful! After a late night last night, we slept in and Sophie, Grace, Andrew, Scottie, Luke and I headed to St. Hedwig’s Kathedral for Catholic Mass. This mass was yet again in German, but the universality of the Catholic Church lessened our language barrier. The church was beautiful, and it had several rooms and memorials underneath. I visited them all, but was taken aback by the site of a replica of the Pieta, where I lit a candle and prayed for a bit. Our group then headed to lunch near Museum Island, and began our visit at the German History Museum, also called Deutsches Historisches Museum.

The German History Museum is amazing, and it is easy spend all day there soaking in all of the history and culture it contains. I limited my visit to my primary interest: World War II. I love learning about WWII history, as well as the events leading up to the war and the events after. Being in Germany has given me a new perspective on the war. In school, we learned of Hitler’s atrocities and the great defeats made by our own army. However, being here in the culture and standing in places where history was made has given me something else to think about. All I can do is empathize with the German citizens who did not ask to go to war. I feel for those who loved their country and wanted the best for it, those who actually believed in Hitler, those who faced wartime struggles they certainly didn’t ask for, and especially those who disagreed but could not speak out against their own government due to fear. Propaganda ruled the mindsets of these Germans, and I can’t help but feel sorry for them. My favorite part of the German History Museum was the details about the war that are not found in our history books. These details talked about how the life and culture in Germany radically changed when the political regime shifted. It was interesting to learn about Hitler’s pre-war reign, and how it affected Germany in many positive ways. Looking at history from the other side has given me a new appreciation for this country, and I have enjoyed being able to experience this history myself.