The biggest difference that I’ve been able to notice between Eastern Europe, particularly Russia, and the West is in the personalities of the different groups. Obviously I’m over generalizing, but it’s been my impression that those in the East of Europe are often cold and standoffish at first impression, while Germans, for example, are extremely friendly. The Germans, so far, have been great, and the German countryside is beautiful. As I drove from Heidelberg to Frankfurt, I felt as if I could take a picture of any passing scenery and sell it as a postcard…but my camera battery was temporarily deceased, so my postcard business will have to be put on hold for now.
Today is Sunday, and on Sundays we usually take the day to go to church and to travel to a new destination. This Sunday, as we travelled from Prague to Austria we stopped in Germany at a place called Dachau - an infamous Nazi concentration camp.
It was a truly sobering experience. As we walked through the dorm blocks and other facilities, we read countless stories of Nazi terror and violence against the prisoners. Dachau was a labor camp devoted originally to political prisoners, and later to anyone who was “different” within the Reich. This included the mentally handicapped, homosexuals, gypsies, hundreds of pastors, other races, and particularly Jews. Prisoners were held within the confines of the camp by guard towers, barbed wire, and electric fences. They were stripped of their belongings and identity. As one form of psychological terror against the prisoners, the Nazi’s gave each prisoner a shelf to remind their captives that they had no belongings to keep on the shelves. The prisoners actually found humor in this. Other Nazi methods were much more sadistic. Prisoners were frequently packed into small rooms for hour upon hour with no ventilation. Many died from the heat. Prisoners were also starved, beaten regularly, and punished for any flaws in their clothing, bed, or behavior. The camp was under Marshall Law, and included a gas chamber. Any insubordination would be met with death. Disease was rampant, and conditions were so deplorable that prisoners regularly threw themselves at the fences and to certain death, rather than continue to live in such a devilish place.
As I surveyed the camp site, I could hardly believe what had taken place here…and this wasn’t even the worst of the camps. What the Nazi’s did was so evil that words hardly begin to summarize the atrocities.
Despite the smiling German faces that I’ve met so far in my travels, I’m constantly reminded of how dark and sinful this world is. We are desperately in need of grace, and we certainly don’t deserve it.
a schnitzel. Highlight of Heidelberg, besides the array of beautiful mullets, had to be cruising around the city one night on a Vespa. It was my first time driving one, so I wasn't too confident, but as I got the hang of it I began to make my way through the city streets. As I continued to ride, the sun set over the mountains. It was such a beautiful night. To cap it all off, for some reason, the city put on a fireworks display...apparently they had heard that our group was coming to town. We're that special.