Blog #2

The last week since I have written on here in Germany has been an amazing time.
I have enjoyed all the places we have visited such as Cologne, Weimar, Dresden and Berlin.
I tried to choose my favorite and I think I first chose Berlin but I have come to the realization that they all have so much to offer and are so interesting in their own ways.
Cologne has such an amazing Cathedral and it is definitely sad to see that it was burned down. It now is beautiful and I would love to take my family there one day soon.
Weimar had an interesting tour! It was long but it was so beautiful that it was so worth it. Weimar to me seems like a small quiet town that has so much beauty in it. I really enjoyed the museum we visited. It was beautiful and to see all those beds, sculptures, etc from the past was such a great experience. It made me wonder what will be in museums from our time. I think back to the museum and the beauty of all the items in there and the history they all bring is magnificent.
Weimar was also my first time at a hostile and I saw my cousin. Hostiles are really nice and a great experience when studying abroad. They were as great as described in class. My cousin and I had a great time catching up and I really enjoyed seeing a little of the city at night. However, after about 7-8 o clock everything seemed to be closed in Weimar. I personally think that has a lot to do with the “small town feel” I got from the city. It was also semi expected from the conversations we have had in class on when the best times to shop and to go out, etc are in Germany.
One of the most interesting experienced I had while in Weimar was going to Buchenwald. Even though it was freezing I would like to say it was one of my most interesting things to see and hear about. I think that the past is important to know so that it does not repeat in the future and Buchenwald is definitely something that should not be repeated. The trip to Buchenwald has given me an interest in continuing my studies in concentration camps and Nazi Germany. I may even be doing my thesis on this after the experience that we had in Buchenwald. It really interests me and I think that it would be something important to write about from the past. If I do not write my thesis on concentration camps I would love to gain some more knowledge from that period of time.
Anyways, the next day we went to Dresden and it was very different from what I expected. I did not expect the huge city feeling and the amount of people around in Dresden. Dresden was beautiful and has so much to offer as a city. The history of Dresden is so important and it is still interesting to me that they are still working on rebuilding the city. Many buildings are being rebuilt the same so they resemble the past from when they were bombed. I really enjoyed that fact and Dresden has left a huge impression on me. The vault we visited in Dresden was also very interesting. My favorite was definitely the jewel vault. It is amazing to see all these things from the past and be able to listen on them. Many things were missing which I was not shocked about but it was completely understandable and the museum has left a huge impression on me.
Finally we went to the GREAT BERLIN. I have always heard amazing things about Berlin and it was honestly one of my favorite cities. My first impression when we were by the hostile was that it was a little dirty and not organized. When we went to the parliament I realized how much beauty was in Berlin. Driving by the wall was so interesting to me. I am glad parts of it are still standing and that there is a line that runs throughout Berlin to show where the wall used to be. It is crazy that the wall only came down in 1989 and how much the city has changed since then. I believe Berlin is my favorite because it has such a fascinating history!!! It is crazy the amount of rebuilding that has had to be done and all the separation from the past. I believe that I definitely saw the difference between East and West Berlin, just like I had read in the article. I also saw all the changes that were happening and the rebuilding to make the two cities united more and more as time passes. My favorite tour and museums have been in museum thus far in the trip. The tour was awesome and the lady was so good. I remember driving through the city later that night and remembering all the interesting facts around Berlin.
The Jewish museum and the resistance museum in Berlin was very touching to me and so was the prison. I wish we had more time at those museums to learn more about the history. These museums have also spiked an interest for me to continue studying about the past. I know everyone really enjoyed Berlin and that is definitely a big city to experience while in Germany. I wish we had more time to spend Berlin. Everyone spoke English and I found it to be a really comfortable atmosphere. The drive back to Osnabruck was also a great experience. As long as it was I got to know more great people in our class. I can’t wait to continue these experiences with everyone.
As we head back to Osnabruck I am looking forward to my last couple days in German class and getting to know more and more people and Germany. Everything about German history has such importance and German history is definitely the most interesting in my opinion. It’s going to be awesome to tell everyone about my great experience when I am eventually back in the United States.