germany/poland (birkenau) - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**beergal** · 06-16-2005, 04:58 AM

these are just a few photos from my trip

some of the remainding Berlin Wall

the new jewish memorial in Berlin

a windmill in Potsdam

the memorial pond at birkenau

**d_fresh** · 06-16-2005, 05:28 AM

very nice. is that where the topography of terror is? it's too bad they couldn't get it together to have a proper exhibit there.
I thought that memorial was really awful. I guess what's one person's art is another's trash.

Birkenau was sobering and overwhemling.

**beergal** · 06-16-2005, 05:42 AM

i think it may have been there were alot of people queuing to go underneath. I think its a very clever peice of art while it looks like a regular block of stones from afar once you walk through the columns you realise that the ground is irregular and i think this is meant to symbolise the irregular policies of Hitler (just my opinion - maybe i think too much!)

While I was at Birkenau there was about 100 members of the israeli army there in full uniform i found this very off-putting as i would do with any "army" there (once again maybe i think too much)

**d_fresh** · 06-16-2005, 05:55 AM

when I was there it wasn't quite finished....I read the little info board there and took a look out over it...didn't really stir up any feelings for me...walking through it may be different.

there were a lot of israeli army when I was at auschwitz/birkenau as well. maybe it's required of them to go.

**The Monsignor** · 06-28-2005, 09:39 AM

probably a required trip, since military service is mandatory in Israel, it would pay to remind the troops exactly why they have a mandatory Army!

(Btw, Beergal, most soldiers are simply normal people, just employed differently... there's no real reason to avoid them, unless you're in south america somewhere...)

**SuDz** · 06-28-2005, 10:49 AM

Out of curiosity, what is that new Jewish memorial in Berlin? I was trying to tell what it is exactly, it looks like a bunch of those stone slabs all over but what is the symbolism?

SuDZ

**space virgin** · 06-28-2005, 10:53 AM

^ It looks like a bunch of unmarked graves to me. Apropos.

**SuDz** · 06-28-2005, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by space virgin@Jun 28 2005, 12:52 PM
^ It looks like a bunch of unmarked graves to me.* Apropos.*

That is what I was kind of thinking but couldn't really make it out if it was or not.

SuDZ

**beergal** · 06-28-2005, 01:21 PM

monsignor i think it would have been better if armed force members didnt wear their uniform in a place like birkenau but like i said thats my opinion on a matter of respect and 'taste'

yeah the jewish memorial is stone slabs i cant remember what someone called it in german but when the memorial first went up tourists were apparently stone hopping them

**SuDz** · 06-28-2005, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by beergal1@Jun 28 2005, 03:20 PM
when the memorial first went up tourists were apparently stone hopping them

SuDZ