WARNING: REALLY LONG POST AHEAD
Hellooo! I have more Munich photos to share. I've been busy the last few days - although when I think back to what exactly I was busy with my mind goes blank. No matter.
To pick up where I left off, the next day of our trip (day three I believe) we went on a Third Reich tour around the city. The rainy weather only added to the overall mood.
We were taken back to the Hofbrauhaus first, where the tour guide talked about Hitler's rise to power and the Beer Hall Putsch.
The room where Hitler gave his speeches.
During the second world war, Hitler had the Hofbrauhaus all decked out in typical Nazi fashion, which included painting large swastikas on the ceiling. After the war, they were painted over to look like flags. You can still see the obvious shape of the swastika - kinda interesting.
This photo takes a bit of explaining to do. During the Beer Hall Putsch, a number of Nazi supporters and Bavarian police had died because of the violent riots. Ultimately, the Putsch had failed, but Hitler wanted to glorify it. In doing so, he set up a memorial to the fallen
putschists which was guarded perpetually by SS guards. All passer-bys had to give the Nazi salute, and if they did not they would be arrested and/or beaten. To avoid having to give the salute, people would walk down a path behind the monument (which is the path you see above). A memorial has been placed in the form of bronze cobblestones, and given the name "Shirker's Alley".
Some people would walk by this memorial and not even know that it's there or what it means. Most of the memorials in Munich are like this. In order to find most of the memorials, you need to know what you're looking for. I thought the memorials were done very tastefully, giving respect to the ones who deserve it without attracting too much attention to the subject. Afterall, it is their history, they cannot escape from it, but they cannot let it haunt them forever. They should be allowed to move on, and they have been.
A black granite memorial to the White Rose, and other German resistance movements during the second world war.
So next we walked down to the University. I have to say that it was my favourite place in all of Munich. I could have stayed there all day. The area around the University is expecially nice. Everything was so intellectual, like you could become smarter just by walking down the street, by absorbing everything around you. It was fantastic. I've never felt that before. I went back three times after this, just to show you how much I loved being there.
The entrance to the University.
The main square has been given the name Geschwister-Scholl-Platz (Siblings Scholl Plaza) in memory of Hans and Sophie.
So at this point I was crying. The fact that I was with a group of 15 or so people apparantly did not seem to hold me back. I was the first to notice the leaflets on the ground, and it just hit me, right there. It was like a dream, even thinking back now I can't believe it. The fact that Sophie had once walked the same streets that I was walking, could have stood where I was then standing, was bewildering. She was a real girl, with real hopes and dreams, which were ended far too prematurely. I think, there are two ways to see history. By reading, or watching historical films, or by looking at photographs. Then, there is actually being where history occured, visiting the places, seeing the things that people had seen so many years ago. I am lucky, I hav had the opportunity to experience history in both ways. But the second way, by actually seeing the places, is mind blowing. It's almost unbelievable. It is so difficult to explain, the feeling I get when I visit such places. So many emotions go through me. I think that's why I went back to the University so many times. The first, I was too shocked to actually appreciate where I was. The second, I had overcome the initial shock, so I could think clearer. The third, for closure, and good bye, and thank you (I'm talking about Sophie ofcourse, and the White Rose. I suppose I did say good bye, when I knew I wouldn't be coming back to the University again. I don't know why, it seemed appropriate at the time).
So these are photos of the memorial at Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, infront of the University.
Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst's images were etched into the white stone, along with the six leaflets that they (along with other White Rose members) had written.
I talk alot about the White Rose on this blog, and about Sophie Scholl. I think at some point I may have explained in further detail who they were and what they did. I will go over it again, just because the next pictures (and the memorial in itself) is so closely related to their story.
From Wkipedia - "The White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor. The group became known for an anonymous leaflet campaign, lasting from June 1942 until February 1943, that called for active opposition to German dictator Adolf Hitler's regime."
So, as you may have guessed, that is why the memorial infront of the University is composed of leaflets. The main members of the White Rose were Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans Scholl, Alex Schmorell, Willi Graf, Christoph Probst, Hans Leipelt and professor of philosophy, Kurt Huber. All were eventually arrested and executed in Munich.
On February 18 1943, Sophie and her brother Hans brought a suitcase full of leaflets to the University. While students were in their lecture rooms, the two decided to place leaflets around the main atrium where they would be found as people flooded out of their classes. Before they left, Sophie decided to push the leaflets off of the banister on the top floor into the air. This spontaneous act was witnessed by a custodian, and the two were taken into custody. The other members of the White Rose were soon to follow.
So this is the inside of the University, where Sophie and Hans distributed the leaflets which lead to their arrest.
I remember standing in the main atrium and picturing hundreds of leaflets falling to the floor. It sent chills up my spine. It still feels like a dream, like I wasn't there. Or my body was, but I couldn't grasp the concept that this was where Sophie and her brother were arrested. I was so used to looking at this whole thing - everything to do with the White Rose - from the
outside. Movies, and photos, and books. But now I was suddenly on the
inside, right there, in person.
There were many more memorials inside the University. This bronze statue of Sophie was mounted on the wall opposite the main staircase.
This was mounted on the same wall, and represents the 7 main members of the white Rose.
In the basement, there was a small museum type room, which told the story of the White Rose. They had articles that belonged to the members too, like note books and briefcases.
Photos of Sophie at the museum.
Some of these pictures were taken later on, after the Third Reich tour. As I said, I went back a number of times because I just loved it there so much.
So during the Third Reich tour, after we had visited the University, we went to The Führerbau (Hitler's office building). We didn't go inside, which I'm glad we didn't because standing outside was enough for me. Ofcourse, the building is being used for other purposes now, but still. Nobody could pay me enough to work there.
You can see at the top of the balcony where the Eagle had been, by the original attachment points. Seriously creepy.
That was really it for the tour. We saw some other things here and there, like the headquarters for the SS, and Hitler's apartment. But really this was the most interesting stuff.
The next day we went to Dachau, the concentration camp. That was difficult for me to do. I even felt uncomfortable taking photos. I'm not sure if I'll post those. Maybe just a few. I won't do that now, this post is already long enough!
Anyways, if you were able to read through all of that you deserve a medal or something. And ya it's taken me forever to compile all of these photos and then resize them because I hate using blogger to upload them, they always turn out so crappy if I do that.
ALSO ITS ALREADY AUGUST AND I'M FEELING REALLY SAD THAT I HAD TO COME HOME FROM MY LOVELY ADVENTURE IN GERMANY. Ugh :( Oh and my only really good friend is going away to BC and she doesnt know how long she will be gone and that makes me sad because I planned a bunch of fun stuff to do with her. Now I will have to either not do them at all or go with my parents FML.
Well I hope everybody is having a better summer than I am :)
