Headquarters for Destruction

Greetings from Berlin! Today our group (Caitlin Harbach, Alyssa Kozak, Simon Sager, and Kelsey Bemus) decided to embark on an adventure to learn more about the history of Berlin's dark years. We navigated the expansive subway system beneath the streets of Berlin and were  pleasantly surprised when we found what we were looking for at the free exhibit, Topography of Terror. 

The exhibit is free and open daily. It opened in 1987, and chronicles Berlin's political rise and fall of the Nazi party between 1933 and 1945. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits, part of the Berlin Wall left standing and remnants of a cellar used to hold political opponents of the Nazis.

To see what we learned while there, check out our video: 

http://youtu.be/LJUnsViXoKs

After visiting Topography of Terror, we learned that while it is very educational and interesting, it does involve a lot of walking, so we would recommend that visitors set out a lot of time to read through everything. Also, we don't feel that children would enjoy it, because the information is a little heavy. 

Nevertheless, it is also a very emotional experience. While there, we talked with a woman from Berlin. She said that she feels it is important to have exhibits such as this, because while it is a portion of history that many don't want to remember, it is important to do so. 

Stay tuned for future posts on our blog! We will be updating regularly with further adventures that we will be experiencing throughout our time in Germany!