|
|
|
- At this point, what do you feel the purpose(s) of concentration camp
visits are?
Having experienced the effect that the camp can have on a visitor, I
would say that the purpose of the concentration camp visit is not to
educate people. It is certainly not the same as a classroom setting where
students obediently and objectively analyze the Holocaust and camps. I
think the camps provide visitors with the unique and uncomfortable
opportunity to experience the smallest fraction of a glimse of an
understanding of the atmosphere of time when the camps were in operation. I
don't mean to say that one can possibly understand how the prisoners felt,
because no experience today can recreate that, but one is able to gain at
least an inkling of the tremendous, terrible energy of the camp. No other
medium, be it books, literature or film can have this truly personal
effect. It is this experience that makes visiting concentration camps
worthwhile.
-How do you feel our visit to Buchenwald compared to our visits of
Holocaust memorials in Berlin? What are the differences between a camp and
memorials?
Like I mentioned above, I don't think any other experience, including
visiting Holocaust memorials can have the effect of visiting Buchenwald.
Buchenwald is like a natural part of the surronding area--that is the key
to part of its effectiveness--it blends in so well with the area that when
one considers the machine-like efficiency that the horror of the camp was
carried out with, it is a truly disturbing juxtaposition. >>
|
|
|
|
|
| |