Blog Goddess #2 here!
Today held a difficult tour for the choir to complete: the Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial.We completed this tour in the morning before continuing to Erfurt for another tour from Silvio.
Before walking the grounds of the exhibit, most of us viewed a movie discribing the establishment and history of the camp, then we continued following an audio tour around each of the buildings, either reconstructed or original.
Choir member Breanna Heilicher comments, ”I felt a deep connection with the experience of touring the camp because of my Jewish heritage. It was a hard experience to completely absorb because of the reconstruction aspect of some of the buildings. The most compelling parts were the foundations of the buildings and the personal stories that were included in the exhibit (especially the gas chamber building). I have a family history of German-Austrian Judaism, which compelled my thoughts to the realization that my family’s fate may have been affected by the events of the Holocaust had my grandfather not left Austria when he did.”
Touring a place such as this historical exhibit held a challenge for each of us in a different way. We all were affected by the realization that such a place as the Buchenwald Concentration Camp exists. It is important to understand that the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, and places like it, are important to world history and the development of the world as a whole. To honor and remember such places proves important to the current younger generation.
In the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, this quote is written on the wall of the entrance to the museum:
“It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say.” – Primo Levi.
On a much happier note, we performed our second to last concert at St. Augustine’s Church in Erfurt to a full house! We also sold most of our CDs that we had left! Each and every performance has increased our strength as a group and changed how we interact with each other and the people who come to hear us perform.
Only 3 days left in Germany! We miss you all!