Worldly Chatter

Germany has been up to a lot as of late when it comes to their World War 2 history. They do not want to hide the things they have done, rather they seem to want to embrace it. A couple of months ago I read about the underground tunnels existing under Berlin that were used during WW2 as well as the Cold War and how they want to open as many as they can for tourism, to finally see what is really under Berlin. Roughly, three hundred tunnels and bunkers exist under Berlin out of a thousand or so.
The Holocaust memorial is becoming an even bigger attraction than they imagined. Opened two years ago it is over two thousand concrete blocks covering the space of three football fields. Even with the slight growth in neo-Nazism in Germany over the years, vandalism isn’t something they contend with much to their surprise. It also contains a database of over 3.5 million known names of those who died under the regime.
Then there is the place where Hitler’s bunker used to be, about 100 meters away from the Holocaust memorial. It no longer exists yet still people flock to it yearly.
Yet the newest is the Berlin exhibition that focuses on the slave and forced labor from Poland. “Rememberance Preserved: Third Reich Slave and Forced Labour from Poland 1939-45″ and opens at the city’s Rote Rathhaus. In the Niederschoeneweide District it reminds everyone of the Polish, Czechs, Ukraine, Belorussian and Dutch men and women were deported to Germany and forced into labor in the three thousand camps located in and around Berlin.
With everything Germany has been doing in recent years to stop hiding it’s shameful past there are still many who do not trust the country, its people or the efforts it is making. Laws that have made it illegal to read certain materials or deny the holocaust put into place with much success. Yet World War 2 is still considered THE war despite the war going on now and there are still many who remember or who have family members who remember. It has been 62 years and there is still little trust. Germany can do so much to erase or attempt to undo its horrid past but with so many who do not trust the country or its people will it be another 60 years before trust and faith is restored? Maybe…
Regardless, one should never forget and if given the chance to go to Germany, go see the memorial, the tunnels and bunkers. You can see some of the camps that exist today but that is up to the individual. I personally do not see myself going to any such camp but would love to check out other WW2 sights as well as non-historical places of the city. I know my father plans on coming to Germany in years to come to see war sights as well as check out the restaurants and attractions. It seems the Germans themselves are trying to cope with the lack of trust as best they can and do fine despite it. People still come to their country for a vacation or to live so it’s getting somewhere.

Berlin, Germany, WW2, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin tourism