Initial Thoughts…

7/20/17:

Berlin is a lot more laid-back, a lot more “chill” than what I would have thought. I had anticipated the city to be quite busy and I expected a sort of “chaos” to crowd over one like myself from a small town in Michigan. However, contrary to my expectation, the city as a whole seems to have a certain “chill order” to it which has made it a lot easier/more comfortable to adjust. I did not expect that I would be able to get by so easily with such little ability to speak German. Nor did I expect to see so much greenery in the city. I also expected more interaction with German people, but so far most of our interaction has been with Calvin students/profs… Also, I feel like everywhere I go, many people look at our group (or small groups) traveling together and think to themselves “ugh, stupid Americans…” Continue reading “Initial Thoughts…”

Blog Assignment #3

Visiting the Holocaust museum and the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp initially left me shocked at the horrors committed by the Germans against Jews, homosexuals, and other minorities. Initially I wanted to blame the German people for the Holocaust, but I must believe that the problem is deeper than that. For me it served as a display of sin’s hold on humanity and our desperate need for a savior. Unfortunately, this genocide, while extensive, is not unique. As long as we as humans remain “fallen short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23) we will continue to do evil against one another.

Even if the problem is not specific for the German people, there have certainly been historical consequences for Germany. This event has not only shaped the German stereotype, but was a factor in the Allies’ occupation of Germany following the end of WWII. People believed that Germany, after provoking two global wars and attempting to “ethnically cleanse” their nation, needed to be controlled, at least temporarily. Also, as a result of the war, most historical buildings in larger cities are damaged or destroyed, leaving a constant reminder to those passing by.

I realize that I could only scratch the surface of the true horrors that were experienced by those caught in the Holocaust. I also realize that although this experience was sad and dark, it was good experience as well. It gave me an objective view of an important time of recent history, as well as showing me the true depths of human sin and our desperate need for Jesus.

Understanding WWII

I find it extremely difficult to fully comprehend the events that happened during WWII. Despite the years of learning about the Holocaust in history classes, visiting the museum here in Berlin, and touring the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, I still struggle to understand how people could do such horrible things to others. However, being here in Germany has helped me digest the war and its effects. Continue reading “Understanding WWII”

This is what occupies us most of the time

This is a friendly reminder that for a good portion of the day (and night) we are teaching/learning a 4sh Engineering course “Statics and Dynamics” (in English) and the students are also taking a German language and culture course from Professors affiliated with the TU Berlin.

Our lectures are usually 3-4 hours long (with a coffee break somewhere in the middle). The students get anywhere from 5 to 11 homework problems that are due the next day.  Most of the students work on their homework during the evening and the profs try to be available to help answer questions on the homework.

Tomorrow (Thursday) they have test #2 in the engineering course.

 

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Holocaust Museum

During my time in high school and college I have had to read a fair amount of Holocaust literature. So in the first part of the museum there it was a timeline that I already knew fairly well. The rest of the museum was filled with personal stories of families and the destruction that the Holocaust caused. This part affected me quite a bit. Suddenly I could put myself in the shoes of a person who was unlikely to see the rest of their family ever again and likely lose their own life. The amount of suffering recorded was terrible.

At the Sachsenhausen Concentration camp I was confronted with a place that caused incomprehensible suffering. While there I walked up the the main gate tower that an officer would have stood to look out over the camp. It made me realize that the people who caused the suffering were real people. It also made me wonder how somebody could come to the state of mind where they believed it was right to cause so much suffering. Places like Sachsenhausen and the Holocaust museum are so important because they prevent something like the Holocaust from ever happening again. Despite being depressing experience, I would say that journeying to these places is something important for everyone to do.