By Cari, on June 6th, 2007%
“We hold in common the belief that it is the obligation of historic sites to assist the public in drawing connections between the history of our site and its contemporary implications. We view stimulating dialogue on pressing social issues and promoting humanitarian and democratic values as a primary function. As a member of the Coalition; this site shares that committment.”
~International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience
Well that sign on the walls of the “Small Fortress in Terezin was to be my only photo from the day, however it’s a devil to make a yellow text on . . . → Keep Going: Terezin
By Cari, on June 3rd, 2007%
(+14)
Perhaps it’s morbid, but to me that is Birkenau. It’s not about a museum attempting to explain what happened, it’s just the camp. The buildings, such as the quarantine bunks, are as they were. It’s more telling than trying to explain what happened, it allows the visitor to see it. Above all, however, it’s a cemetery. Not just the fields or ponds of ashes, there’s the sense that it’s all hallowed ground.
Perhaps Rob Francosi said it best:
The camp is 425 acres, a mile by a mile-and-a-half, but this information offers little guidance. The Allendale campus is more . . . → Keep Going: Auschwitz II: Birkenau
By Cari, on June 3rd, 2007%
(+7 photos)
Although I don’t recall which exhibit it was in, that quote captures the essence of my thoughts on historical pilgrimages, which is what I term trips such as this one. Before I left, we struggled. You really can’t say “have fun” on a trip like this but you can hope to have an educational trip. That’s part of why I’ve come to call these ‘historical pilgrimages.” I don’t go for a religious calling but rather as part of a need to know/understand.
I can’t pinpoint my interest in the Holocaust, but I know I was interested enough . . . → Keep Going: Auschwitz I: Auschwitz
By Cari, on June 3rd, 2007%
OK, there’s a two-fold reason for the overview post: I’m still putting together my thoughts on the trip as I go through the photos and I want the miscellaneous stuff kept separate from the camps. I think the camps are going to end up with separate posts as I see them as distinct entities in my head.
My train left from Praha – Hlavni Nadrazi at about 8:30 PM. I didn’t pay attention when choosing my carriage/section and ended up in a smoking one, but I was too lazy to move. I dozed on and off and after being woken by passport . . . → Keep Going: Historical Pilgrimage: Overview
