The last 3 days... sorry, no internet!

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5-10-08

Life styles of the Rich and imprisoned…

Well, Czech Republic has a lot more first than I thought. For example, they have some of the first lamp posts. In the olden days, people would have to use torches to get around at night, and if you were caught walking around in the dark without one you would go to jail. Well, in order to keep the castle protected and allow the aristocracy around the castle to enjoy life without torches, they built some huge pillars with sculptures around them that had a bunch of torches inside them. That way, people could get around safely at night.

We also learned about the Cathedral which was finished 1000 years after the death of their patron Saint, Wensworth (of Good King Wesworth something something on the fiest of Stephen). It has two clocks on top of each other, each with only one hand. This is because one tells the hour, and the other the minute. Cool eh?

Another cool architecture thing was the plague tower. When the plague was going through Europe, the church was everything. So, in order to make sure everyone could go to church and not be killed by the plague, priests would stand at the tower and preach and those who were not ill would go near it, and those who were ill with the plague stood far away but close enough to still hear the priest.

In Prague Castle there was also a balcony where the first Czech president spoke, and Hitler spoke there as well when he came to Prague. His words of “you’re mine” were a lot less hopeful than those words of the president. Any important speeches are given from there.

We also learned about defenestration. That is when people are thrown out windows. In 1420 leaders were thrown out I believe by Catholics and usually they would not be killed but people knew they were being thrown so they stood below with knives and spikes. How nice. Then in 1618 there was another defenestration during the war in Europe at the time. These leaders landed in garbage and ran away.

An important figure discussed was Maria Theresa. She decided that the Czech Republic should not be in wars during her time. So instead she had lots and lots of babies that she could marry off so that the Czech Republic would get more land and power. There was a baby of Maria Theresa in almost every European country of the time married to someone of royalty. Wow. There were a lot fewer countries there then, but that is besides the point. She made everyone Catholic but she made sure that everyone was literate. That is pretty cool.

Later that day, we went to Terezin, which was not just a concentration camp, but also a prison. The prison was in use way before the Nazis arrived. Principe, the man who killed Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand and “started” World War I was imprisoned there. The prison is the place that has the sign that reads Work will make you free. It obviously did not. The prison was very eerie and had an odd feeling about it. You could picture people going crazy in there. We even saw where an addition to the building had been made.

Going to the concentration camp was also a very odd experience. First of all, it was a functioning town now because those who had been kicked out returned after the war. So it looked as if nothing had ever happened there, save for a few places. It looked like a nice little town. The most interesting part of the museum was the pictures drawn by the children. They were incredibly honest which was at times terrifying. Looking at the artifacts there was interesting as well. Seeing personal items made the whole museum more… personal.

Things to remember: Czech Republic is awesome… they have Tibetan flags up now because of the problems they are having with China, when in doubt, go to the bagel shop for dinner and if you don’t know the currency just hold out some coins and let the shop keeper snatch, and finally codeword: Brusinka (cranberries).

5/11/08

Where is the line between respecting and remembering?

Today we woke up very early to head out to Salzburg and Mauthausen concentration camp. After napping a while, we stopped at a gas station where we got hit by a car. That was fantastic. Lesson number one for the day… you never want to get in a car accident in the Czech Republic. It takes forever for the police to get there and they are crazy thorough. Ok, never mind, maybe that is a better place to get in a wreck. So after standing around for a while, we got back on said bus and went on to find Mauthausen. I was not aware that this was an extermination camp. I thought it was just a concentration camp, not that that’s any better. Let’s take this experience a step at a time.

First, I learned a little about Austria’s conscription policies. Our tour guide was escaping conscription by being a tour guide at Mauthausen. If you are a conscientious objector, you can do community service instead of military service.

There was a monument there that was the most agenda driven monument I have ever seen in my life! It was a monument from the Soviet Union. It was dedicated to the victims of fascism, the governmental system that the Soviet Union fiercely opposed. This was a time when they could demonstrate howF horrible that system was. Also, it was dedicated to those who died between1941-1945. This part was a little confusing for me. The tour guide said this was because it wasn’t until 1941 that Soviets were being captured. However, I saw on the walls of the camp the year 1941, making me think that maybe the Soviet date was right after all. Finally, the fact that they showed a strong prisoner carrying another on his shoulders was playing into their agenda. This is historically inaccurate for two reasons. First, when the camp was liberated, the US found all these people emaciated. Second, it was, understandably, an every man for himself situation going on in most cases. I thought that monument was less of a commemoration of the tragedies and more of an item shoving Soviet power in the faces of the failed fascists.

The story of Mauthausen was chilling. First, prisoners had to walk 5K to get to the prison from town. Next, they were shown the door and the chimney stacks, telling prisoners the door was how they came in and the chimney was going to be how they left. This must have drained them of any hope whatsoever. After they were registered at the camp, their names were taken and they were given numbers, they were, stripped, shaved of any hair on their bodies, and showered. Later they were given thin uniforms to wear. If one was assigned to the quarry to work, the average life expectancy was two to three days. That was if the Nazis were going to let you live once you got there. Those who they did not allow to live were pushed off a giant cliff into the quarry. These “parachuters” as they were called fell to their death. It was horrifying. The number of shootings of prisoners eventually went down because the price of ammo was getting too expensive.

In barrack one, where the Nazi leadership was usually stationed, they got the women prisoners to make it into a brothel by promising them that by providing this service they would be released or transferred somewhere better. I don’t know if they actually were.

The part about the camp that really got to me was the execution area. When I saw the crematorium, my heart dropped into my stomach. I had been taking pictures all day because I want people to know about these things that happened, but I couldn’t take any more pictures after that and the chilled room where corpses were stored. I am really struggling with the line between taking pictures so people can remember and being reverent of the people who lost their lives there. After talking with many people about this dilemma I was experiencing, I came to a conclusion for next time: I should take the pictures because by showing these pictures and helping others know about how horrible this was I could be saving people of the future. What better way to respect the dead is there than preventing the tragedies of the past from repeating, and keeping their memory alive?

The pictures and memorials of individuals was touching as well. This trip is breaking down the 6 million Jews who died in World War II into the Marys, Johns and Pauls that were really there. It is beginning to become more real.

Later, after the most amazing dinner I have had on this trip, we watched a movie on Simon Wiesenthal, someone who survived Mauthausen and then spent his life tracking down Nazis and other people who were committing crimes against humanity down and making sure they got justice. It was pretty incredible to hear his story. It shows you that one person really can make a difference. Something he said really struck me later. After he was liberated, he felt terribly alone because their family was gone. So it seemed to me as if these people were liberated from one place of torture, and entered into a totally different torture.

Now, because I have to make this a little light, things to remember: terrorists don’t drink cranberry juice, barrack and Barack are TOTALLY different, always look behind you when pulling out of a parking spot, the Czechs are thorough investigators, hotels without elevators and internet are frustrating after a long day, carry a flashlight down the halls of hotels that have no hallway lights, in Austria the hills are alive (grass blowing violently) and when in doubt, the sound is too low.

5/12/08

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
Today we got a lovely city tour of Salzburg from our wonderful guide Hanz. He was very funny. We saw a pro life demonstration, where Mozart was born, where scenes from Sound of Music was filmed, the squares, the alps, a monastery, a convent, lots of horses and of course, people in alpine dress! Amazing! I have never seen a city so beautiful. The gardens called Mirabella were amazing! Unfortunately, the gardens were under going construction. They were changing from their spring to summer flowers. What a shame. 😊

Later, we hopped on our rusty trusty some what beaten up bus and headed for the Kehlsteinhaus also known as the eagles nest. This is where Hitler talked with diplomats and dignitaries. That house was hundreds of millions of dollars and was quite impressive. It was given to him on his 50th birthday. It’s a little funny because its on the top of a mountain in the alps and Hitler had vertigo. What a wonderful friend. He was also clostrophobic so the elevator was made with shiny brass so that it seemed bigger. The view was INCREDIBLE! It was on the top of the second highest peak in Germany, so we got to play in snow for a while. I fell in the snow, which considering it was on the top of the alps was NOT a good idea. While I was falling my purse filled up with snow. That was a lot of fun to clean out. I never would have climbed the snow hill if I would have seen the sign I saw when leaving: warning, danger of death. I still cannot get over how beautiful it was up there. I know my dad would have killed to see it. Now the eagle’s nest is a restaurant so after our tour we had a little time to kill so a friend got an apple cake thing. It was delicious. However, it was very weird to be eating where Hitler probably ate.

Then we got on the bus again and it was movie time. It was interesting because in the movie it talked about the eagles nest and Hitler’s free time there. Eva Brown, his wife for about 10 minutes, had been given a silent camcorder and recorded him with his friends. It was interesting because a man got the tapes and lip read via technical assistance what Hitler was saying. That was really cool to watch. It showed him when he wasn’t having seizures in front of thousands at rallys and such.

Ok, things to remember from today: Never climb snow hills in the Alps, never give your mistress a camcorder, when you want to be protected from American air attacks, build yourself a place on top of a mountain in winter, you can get Weiner Schnitzel without veal (HOORAY!), a half an hour on the internet at an internet café is just a tease, two in German is Svwein (I think…), never get snow in your purse, Hanz knows every scene of the Sound of Music, go to Mirabelle when they are not switching from spring to summer flowers (although it is still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen), and skipping merrily where Julie Andrews skipped merrily with children is always too much fun!

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