|
|
|
-What was your reaction to our visit to Buchenwald?
Buchenwald was basically what I expected it to be. I was however
shocked at first by the SS bunkers (which have turned into "tourist"
buildings--cafes and information buildings) because they seemed really
bright and homey. I didn't expect to see any buildings which were at all
decorative or appealing in any sense. I was a bit disturbed because the buildings were
attractive to me, and I was disgusted that I found them appealing. As for
the rest of the camp, it was as dreary, cold, empty, and gray, as I had
envisioned. I definitely didn't enjoy the visit and was understandably
disturbed and angered by it. I don't regret going at all because I think
it was really important for me to have a real sense of the camps, rather
than a media-influenced image. The visit made the persecution of Jews,
Gypsies, homosexuals, and political prisoners REAL to me, rather than a
story I've read or a movie I've seen. Although I always knew that the
Holocaust had happened it wasn't really real in my mind because it seemed
so foreign, so far away. Being at the camp, it became real.
How were expectations of the visit met or not met?
I really didn't have any expectations of the camp--none that I can
really recall, but I know that the visit has definitely impacted my life a
great deal, and it is a day that I will never forget.>>
|
|
|
|
|
| |