First and foremost: Thank you for making this tour and vlogging about it. I appreciate the silent and empathic way you did this, and I would like to tell you about the consequences that war can carry into the post-war generations. My Mum was born in 1929, which means she was a teenager during the war. She never told me what she had to go through at the age of 14 together with my grandmother - only when I was already about 35 years old did I learn the story on a gloomy autumn evening when I accused my mother of being racist. I had fallen in love with a Senegalese. And she permanently refused to meet him. What I did not understand. Hadn't she always taught me that all people and all skin colors were equal? She burst into tears because of my reproach. And then she told me this: (important to know that my family lived in Rheinland Pfalz, which as you well know, was in the hand of the US allies. And I am not blaming the US allies for what happened. Don't get it wrong please!) ATTENTION: Trigger warning! Even though I will try to keep it short, this might not be a story for people with war traumata. Under tears my Mom told me: "One evening, Grandma and I had to hike through a fairly remote forest on our way home. It was already dusk and from a distance we heard a jeep approaching. In it sat four drunken black soldiers. They stopped and while one stayed by the vehicle to stand guard, the other three began to grope us. We tried to escape, but it was too late. Two GIs raped Grandma and I had to watch. The third soldier then tried it on me, but I was strong and he was extremely drunk, he tore my dress to shreds but did not manage to overpower me. In his frustration he almost bit off one of my nipples. Then the soldier standing guard called them to leave, and they did. Grandma and I sat down and leaned against a tree trunk for a long time, stunned. When it was dark, we dared to go back to the village. The village doctor stitched up my wound, but the war had used up all the anesthetics. I had to make it without anesthesia. We sneaked back into the house (at that time they lived with my great-grandparents in the village, because their house in the city had been bombed), no one was allowed to see us. Grandma said "when your dad returns from captivity, we must never tell him about it, otherwise he won't love us anymore." I have not talked about it with anyone until today, my dear. But that's the reason why I can't meet your new friend. I panic when I see black men. Even when I'm riding a bus sitting in the back, and one enters it in the front, I have to get off because I break out in a sweat. And shortness of breath." My mother could never come to terms with this trauma. She was'nt racist at all, she just could not handle her panic. The morals of the 40s did not allow to talk about it. And psychologists were still considered "docs for lunatics" at that time. To make a long story short: I married the Senegalese. My mother did not know about it, I only told her that we were a couple. I kept her out of it to spare her, because she didn't even want me to tell her about him. I kept my family name, which was possible at that time because of a new law. Thus, war experiences influence even generations that have not experienced the war. I have often wished to meet the soldier personally. And to tell him (without hatred or anger) what consequences his deed had up to even my generation. I would have been interested to see how he would have reacted and whether a peaceful conversation would have been possible. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame him much. He was drunk and those two women in the forest were "from the enemie's side"....... It was not okay what he did, but things like this happen in each and every war. Why am I telling all this here now? Because it is a good example of how far-reaching the consequences of war are, and how important it is not to forget, and to ensure that no new wars arise.
Wow that is heartbreaking to hear. It is definitely not okay what he did. Thank for sharing your family’s story so that we better can understand the lasting & far-reaching effects of war.
Danke dass sie ihre Geschichte hier erzählt haben. Auch wie sie sie erzählten ( mit Vorwarnzng um was es gehen würde) Wie wichtig sie ist möchte ich die dritte Geneation erzählen und qarum es wichtig ist, das ea nie zu spät ist die eigene Famuluengeschichte zu erfahren. Wer es nicht kann zu reden bitte... schreibt sie auf. Warum? Die Wahrheit muss eurer Familie bleiben. Was nützt es bis 16** Jrd eine Tafel zu haben. und auf der andwrwn seite zu wissen beides auch in der Familie von vermutung bis wajrscheinlich duch nachgewiesrne schriften mit sicherheit Täter UND Opfer in sich zu haben es ist wie einbeinig laufen..😔 Und das weil weil msn wirklich wissen wollte und FloskelSätzen auf den Grund ging. Einige kannte ich aber wie vielw es wirklichen erfuhr ich erst un lerzten 20 Jahren. Warum ich hier schreibe in den letzten 5. Und Brunnen ist noch nicht zu Ende. Denn die Wahrheir ist auch es gibt den anderen Fuss die schweigen wollen und ich gebe mein Möglichstes zu zeigen: So viele Biographien können nicht lügen... hier die auch nicht 👉 Bitte die ihr noch seid und wisst, sprecht. Auf die Weise die euch möglich ist. Oder übergebt es an Yad Vashem PS. Danke und ich hoffe es wird übersetzt wenn sie sie lesen würden. Es gibt hier Menschen die das nie wieder wollen für niemanden.
I think on the one hand, those sites feel eery, depressing and make you feel overwhelmed. But on the other hand, when I see kids like Willa there and when I think about the world those camps exist in today, as a memorial, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful, almost peaceful. They are a testament to great suffering and the cruelty humans are capable of. But also to the fact that the world can change, that in spite of all the issues that still exist, it has changed for the better in many ways. That everyone and every generation has a chance, but also the obligation to do better.
You‘re braver than I am. I read a lot of first hand accounts before I moved to Germany. I decided not to go, because I’m aware of what happened, in great detail. I remember thinking that during the football world cup, hosted in Germany, in 2006, it was the first time I had seen obvious national pride and heard the anthem sung so happily and often. It’s a heavy historical burden that Germans do not shy away from. I’m very glad to see so much appreciation of today’s Germany on UA-cam.
I am German and thank you very much for your respectful and empathetic video. As students in school we visited a concentration camp. I visited a few more after that. Each time I was moved by the documented suffering. In Sachsenhausen concentration camp I cried in front of the barbed wire and signs warning of deadly gunfire. The subject of concentration camps is close in my family. My grandfather ran a company. He resisted attempts to win him over to the NSDAP. He had to give forced labour to concentration camp inmates from the concentration camp in his small town (a sub camp I found on the map at 3:47 in your video). He was fortunately never sued or charged for this. If you want to see feature films about the horrors of the Nazi era, I recommend "Schindler's List" by Steven Spielberg and "For those I loved" by Robert Enrico. I am looking forward to your further visits to concentration camps.
Thanks for sharing your experience and the movie recommendations. We are looking forward to visiting more in the future and we'll be sure to share some thoughts.
Most German schools take ninth grade students on a field trip to a concentration camp as part of history class, and I think I speak from the heart of everyone here when I say that this is the worst / most emotional day of school. I for one am 24, neither my parents nor grandparents were in the war, yet we carry the burden of our ancestors on our shoulders. On the one hand, it is very, very hard, on the other hand, it is very sad that, unfortunately, almost no country besides Germany does it. Every country has done bad things: the Australians, the Americans, the Canadians, China, Turkey, Belarus, ... the list is far too long. But unfortunately, many are neither acknowledging their guilt nor showing it openly. I think they should take us as an example and openly acknowledge the deeds of the past.
My grandmother is from Dachau and we used to visit family there regularly. When I was five and my brother nine he was very curious about visiting the concentration camp, because he of course had heard of it. My parents didn't know I had taught myself to read and thought I wouldn't understand much. My mother waited with me in a hall that only showed objects of the victims. I will never forget the horror I felt when I found shoes my size and out of curiosity started reading the explanation next to it. I kept thinking "they could have killed me too". It felt so real I never got rid of the feeling of complete shock and fear.
@@OurStorytoTell it's not haunting me luckily, but thinking of the moment I can sense the feeling again. When I was a teenager I often thought about how lucky I was to be born later and how much bigger the horror must have felt for the people that were sent there. I definitely feel part of my nation though and sense the country's history as my own history, too.
We have a "Stolperstein" in our Town for a 10 Year old Girl. I can't imagine all the horror that girl must have went through before her end, when she should have had a happy childhood with lots of fun and joy instead. It makes me feel so sad and unbelievable angry about my country. I always watch out for Stolpersteine and read them. I clean them if they are dirty and i never step on them. They always make me think about those people back then. The perpetrators and their victims. Living their lives together just a few years earlier. That part of our History is never far away. It's always close. We have to remember.
Thank you for sharing this. It brought me to tears because my great-grandfather was killed in the Flossenbürg concentration camp in 1942. 🥺 I had exchanged some emails with the memorial office and I plan to visit one day but I havent’t had the courage to do so yet (none of my family have). This way I can at least see what to expect…. Btw, It’s very strange to see a residential area right next to it 😯
Please take courage and come visit this place. Honor your ancestor at his resting place. Experience the history of this place and his context in the present. Then you'll understand so much better (maybe even your last question...) You're very welcome!
I really understand your feelings seeing the houses - I was so abhorred by them - I never could live in such a place. The church you see is built with the stones of a watchtower. Then I read in the description, that this was the wish of the survivors: they wanted this place to serve life instead of serving death, and in the same way the stones to serve life instead of serving death. Well, I guess they just had seen too many deaths and wanted to set a sign, that they needed to live! In their eyes it meant, that death has been overcome by live now. But - in my eyes "the blood of our brothers cries out to me from the ground". The wish of the former prisoners is understandable only to my brain, or better only to a part of my brain. Everything else is crying out: O no! - it is a cursed place, and it's only use is the warning: never again. As the prisoners wanted it to be a place of life again, the ground was sold to a company. Until it became bankrupt. Same with the next company. Same with the next. Until they opened the whole place except the houses for the memorial. But again: I never would live in such a house, not if I were paid for.
And yet - as long you see it as a place of mourning - that's what this place allows - to share the tears of those who have been there. To you it might be a place to get in touch with your families history. It is not only your great-grandfather who died - part of the hearts of his family died there as well. His children were traumatized, and this trauma also affects the next generation, your parents. It will be good to stand the trauma, to bid the farewell to your great-grandfather, that he had been denied, and then to return and hug your parents and, if still possible, your grandparents. Only by this, death can be overcome by life again.
it is nice that this video was slowed down, calm and you cared about the special history of that place. this is how we all should deal with these kind of memorials. we should never forget what was done there and do everything, that it will never happen again. maybe to improve your next visits, the most ppl don't like it, if these memorials are called concentrations camp, but concentrations camp memorial. this is important for many ppl.
Thank you so much for the suggestion. That is a better way to word it. We added Memorial into the title & next time we will include it when talking. ❤️
Yeah we went to concentration camps in school a few times. It really hits hard. And I completely agree that it hits even harder if you were informed of what exactly happened before you actually walk those halls or pathways. That being said, the weather fit the place perfectly. x_x Did you ever watch Schindler's List? We watched it in school, too and man, that one hits hard, too. I really appreciate that they keep the sites. It sounds so far aways when you learn about it in school and then you drive for what feels like 5 minutes and "it happened right here". I really appreciate that you went to the concentration camp. It's so easy to say "It didn't happen in my country, it has nothing to do with me", but those great tragedies, in my opinion, should be remembered by everyone to make sure, that they never happen again. No matter where it is. Same goes for Germans learning about other countries' pasts, of course. One can't undo it, but should learn from it and make better choices in the future.
It is important to learn from films, books, and lectures. But to be at the scene of the action yourself is completely different. Even if it was a long time ago and you don't see the people live. It is good that our mothers and fathers decided to preserve such monuments. It gives an important experience to everyone who visits them. Sometimes it is difficult for people through puberty. But mostly these impressions affect such young people as well. It is not "nice", but very good that you did this to yourself! - And reported about it !!! Danke!
Thank you two adults for your thoughtful and thought-provoking video. Yet again, the (possibly unintended) highlight was Willa. Seeing a small, smiling girl at the memorial site of such unspeakable horrors allows for hope. Hope that future generations can learn, change, and actually live in a better place, yet still not forget or ignore the past. Thank you again.
Great respect how you faced (and treated) the deepest and darkest times of german history. I've never been to a cc in Germany but I visited Theresienstadt in Czech Republic and can feel with you concerning these experiences and emotions. The intro already gave me shivers and the weather surely played its part too. A perfect video for the "memorial month" (for the deads) of november.
No more Auschwitz, no Bergen Belsen ,no more Guantanamo,no more Wounded Knee,no more "walks of tears"... We all carry the burden of shame. When will we ever learn?
Good video! Next time I'm in the USA I have to visit the National Museum of the American Indian to learn more about the American Natives and their cultures. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, there is still no major memorial to the 10 million "disappeared" Indians in the USA yet..
It really is unfortunate and we wish America paid more tribute to them! Risa’s great grandma was from Hungary and when she moved to Utah she worked at a school with Native Americans. We still have jewelry that she made with them. Growing up in Idaho and Utah we learned about the tribes that used to live in our area and many stories of them, but we 100% agree that more tribute needs to be given & history needs to be told.
In history class in our school, we went on a trip to a concentration camp. There was a big difference between being told about it and reading about it, or seeing the atrocities on the spot. It was really hard, but I am glad that there are these museums and memorials in Germany.
Your visit in Flossenbürg makes you more german than most of native germans . i´m 57 years old and visit a concentration camp only once in my live , when i was in school . ( Bergen Belsen ) . The way you create this video makes me happy , because you are not pointing the finger on us , but remember us .Very empathic and dignified . Thank you .
Thank you for this calm and decent video! These places are very important to learn and to reflect! I wish more countries in this world would try to deal with their past where horror was made from humans to humans.
I am always glad that we have these memorials to remember what happened and that this never happens again. But... I find it very sad that the USA does not have the same for its victims, but keeps this dead silent and it is a taboo.
Thank you for this video! Very well done! We never visited that one, but we have visited Dachau and that had a big impact on us as Germans now living in the US! We took our then 13 years old son and the sadness what overcame him showed the horror what happened so many years ago and reminded us: WE CANNOT ALLOW HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF!
Thank you so very much for your video! After watching it, I could not stop the tears. My dad was put in that camp after fighting the Nazis in Warsaw Poland as a very young man. He and a friend had torched a Nazi fuel depot and the Nazis came to his village and had everyone gather in the square. They told the people that whoever destroyed the depot to turn themselves in or they were going to execute every male in the village. To show they meant what they said, they threw a live young girl into a bonfire in the square. He surrendered with his friend and he was sent to Flossenberg. My father never talked about what had happened to him until he started having health issues later in his life. He was liberated by the American Army while on the "Death March" and after leaving the hospital recovering from weighing only 49 pounds at 19 years old, he joined the Polish Guard working with the American Army in Munich. After four years, he left Germany and came to the United States. I was first born and born on his birthday! My father lived a long life and passed away a few years ago at age 90! Looking at your video reminded me of all the stories that he did finally tell me although many I can't repeat because it was too gruesome and graphic.
😭😭 What a comment to read. We have chills. Thank you for sharing your story with us. We are very grateful he made it out alive- even though it sounds like barely. What a strong man he must have been! ❤️
well, me as a german i am proud that we are able to remind everyone at everyday about this dark history. the mindset about this is "never forget and let it never happen again". from my point of view should this memorials remind the whole world not only germans. we have learned our lesson ..... but if you look to the actual world, it is really happen again in an other country and nothing we can do ..... look over to china ..... its really happen again ....
My Experience with Concentration Camps comes from a Visit in Dachau. This was a really memerable expirience. I visited there with my school Class (Students of years 17-19) and one could see how the tour and the great tour guide impacted everyone pretty hard but also pretty diffrent. If you want to Visit Dachau Memorial aswell i definitly would recommend getting a guided tour (though i do not know if they are avaible there in english, maybe as an Audio Guide only?). The Guided tour was a really emotional ride of our German History of that time and i can really recommend that.
It is worth pointing out that, unlike many of the camps, most of the prisoners at Flossenburg were non-Jews. They were predominantly political prisoners, asocials, such as homosexuals, and Russian prisoners of war. These included numerous Germans, such as the anti-Nazi dissident and Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Thank you for a thoughtful and well tempered video on your visit. Let us make sure that history will not repeat itself, ever. Beware of the populists in all countries.
the first time we did a school field trip to a concentration camp we did it in the cold because our history teacher wanted us to understand how it must have been for the prisoners. It certainly hits different if you stand out there in the cold instead of bright sunshine and a nice breeze.
Yes the weather really makes a difference when you visit those places. A few years back, I visited Auschwitz and I was very glad it was on a bright and sunny day because I don't know if I would have been able to follow the tour to the end otherwise. I still had nightmares for a few days after that. But I'm glad that I mustered the courage to go there.
I've been watching your videos and others videos of Germany and although I know it's important, it was hard to allow myself to watch this, so much suffering. I'm very aware of what happened, even studied it in great detail in a college course, but I'm glad I did. What really surprised me was seeing what appears to be residential homes around it. That is one place I could never live, my heart and soul couldn't take it.
After seeing that you might feel the collective guilt that most of us Germans still feel that won't wear off. For that reason patriotism is still considered somehow wrong because those who committed those crimes against humanity were self proclaimed 'patriots' and nationalists. My parents' generation was so ashamed that most of them would never talk about the war.
Same here. I only know that my father felt lucky to become a POW in France - he was brought into a POW camp on Guernsey - because it meant for him that the fighting was over.
I don't know if that's a generational thing but I am 25 and I don't feel any guilt for it since it's not something I could be made responsible for but rather I feel a strong sense of responsibility of keeping the memory of it alive, to educate, remember and to make sure something like this never happens again. Also in contrast to your parents my grandparents (born in the 1920's) are/were very openly talking about their experiences, the horrors, the shame, everything. I felt like I could also ask the difficult questions and they are/were willing to answer. In fact my grandfather even wrote down his memories and handed them to each of his children, grandchildren and the local community such that they will never be forgotten.
@@CHarlotte-ro4yi yes it's generational. I'm 45, my parents experienced WWII as children, my grandparents were actively involved. My one grandfather was a Nazi, my other grandfather was a Wehrmacht soldier. I feel guilt, even if I know by logic it's not my fault. Guilt and shame. It passed on to me from my grandparents, who were terribly ashamed of having been part of the nation that brought so much horror to humanity.
@@helgaioannidis9365 I see...Thanks for sharing this! I guess the difference for me is that my grandparents both were teenagers during that time, so kind of dragged into it unwillingly (a bit like your parents as well) especially my grandfather who in 1943 turned 18 and had no choice but to join the Wehrmacht.
@@CHarlotte-ro4yi that is great because this feeling of shame ( maybe that describes it better than guilt) has a lot to do with the silence that not only I experienced. There are a lot of books about that and the men coming home from POW camps years after the war, defeated and beaten instead as the heroes they went off as . Psychology today knows about the effect these things can have on several following generations. You are absolutely right by saying it is our duty and responsibility to help prevent these horrible things from ever happening again. Let's all hope we'll succeed.
Great job on explaining the history of the building, soundtrack, and filming also were great. It is a sensitive subject, heart breaking, but at the same time part of the history. Thank you for sharing your day visiting the concentration camp. Your videos are getting better and better each time. I really appreciate the videos you are posting. Wonderful job.
Thanks for addressing such a vulnerable and hard topic and drawing attention to it. I have been to Mauthausen in school almost ten years ago and it is still a memory that will stick with me forever. It is a pity that what China is doing with the Uiguren is said to be "the modern holocaust and other countries turn a blind eye to it as Chinas economic and military power is to intimidating.
What is happening in China isn't similar at all. There was a big violent separatist terrorism campaign going on in Xinjiang, 10% of the Uyghur population got put into camps and the terrorism stopped completely. The people in the camps aren't being exterminated. Harsh? Yes. Acceptable in Western society? No. But genocide? Nope. And comparable to WW2 concentration camps? Not in the least. Countries aren't 'turning a blind eye'. Countries just have far better information about what is actually happening than the regular Joe or Jane (who get most of their information from very one-sided sources) does.
A fascinating tour of this camp. It was the final place of internment and death of my father's cousin, Captain Brian Rafferty of the Special Operations Executive. I intend one day to visit to see it for myself. Thank you for making this film.
Thanks for posting. Been wanting to take a visit but hard times. My grandfather served in europe he among others were flossenburg subcamp liberators of the womens camp zwodau and falkenau. He never talked about the war he passed before I was born. I have a Nazi armband and Nazi medals passed down along with his bayonet.
one of the best vlogs about a concentration camp. Thx. Respektfull and Calm without the craving for klicks. Well done. May I ask you how is USA handlign the topic of there own camps for Japanies? Before shit storm. there were not as bad as those in germany. I know it. however its a part of US history, too.
Thanks Adam. It was a moving experience for us and we wanted to show it from a different perspective. The US has a lot of work to do in regards to the oppression and that happened to the Japanese. The first part is definitely taking responsibility for a lot of the things happened. It has been something we know needs more attention and recognition. A touchy subject that has been handled poorly in our opinion.
@@OurStorytoTell thank you very much for your staight forward answare without juging. some would make a shit storm out of my question. I saw your Video about Hamburg. have you managed to see miniaturwunderland? its great thing for the little one. :-)
@@adamjurczak8606 No problem. We like to be pretty straightforward with topics like this as best as we can. Yes! We went to the Miniaturwunderland! Didn't include it in our video, but we loved it and couldn't believe how detailed all the model cities are. Such a fun place to visit in an incredible city.
Back when I was at school we visited the KZ in Buchenwald. Ist was really hard seeing and thinking about what some sick people did to other people. Everybody needs to go and experience it so that something like that will never happen again.
very much appreciated that you visit the side.. We are good with a lot of things, but knowing that we Germans have done that too is important to stay on guard for ourselves. Thank you to bring that up!
I visited this camp in 1987 while stationed in Germany. It's very surreal. I remember seeing the ovens and where the pregnant women were experimented on. There were jars of buttons and other items from the victims. They did a wonderful job memorializing the victims, but great sadness to remember. It was a great reminder one of the reasons why I was also stationed there. It leaves a profound impact, if you ever visit the camps. God bless everyone lost and those left to remember.
I always feel physically sick whenever I think abput that part of Germany's history. The only comfort is that there was a lot of restistance as well (Berlin has a special museum for that and in Berlin-Plötzensee you can take a look at many death verdicts on germans who showed the slightest signs of resistance against the regime. There were far more german people showing that they were against the NS regime than Anne Frank and Stauffenberg. A part of my family also hid a jewish family before they fled to America. If only someone had managed to kill Hitler and his main supporters early in time.
I'm the same, it makes me physically sick to think about the horrors of the Holocaust and WW2! Thankfully my grandfather who died recently at the age of 95 openly shared his memories of WW2 and the Nazi regime with us. My grandmother also often talks about it still and never ceases to mention how awfully feared they were of being openly in opposition, they used to say "keep your mouth shut otherwise you will end up in Dachau" which of course referred to the concentration camp situated there which was the closest to where my grandparents live. Yet I know that although my grandparents suffered, they were certainly "lucky" and as such on the wrong side of history in a way, which is something I am really struggling to wrap my head around, if you get what I mean....
The thing is: It is a must to look direct on that part of history and take it as it is...no denying, no soft washing and do not look away only because it is "soooo long ago"... the generation of the eye witnesses is passing out year by year and it is our turn to do everything that something like this will never ever happen again. My kids will know about it!!! And i hope they will understand that it is not their fault as german citizens (i hate these nice people that only can say "but it's not MY fault, so why should I care") but they have a reponsibility out of that history. And i think in a way thats a good responsibility...keep your eyes, ears and minds open, look around you and mind the little thing that also where little things nearly 100 years ago when nobody could imagine what will happening 15 - 20 years later. We know what happened and we know how it happened and we are able to see when there are things in our time that remember us of something... I didn't know...that's something nobody should be able to say anymore!!!
Only a tiny minority of foreigners are doing visits like this one. It feels good that you are making a difference. Nazi sites are painful but necessary to see. You leave as a different person. A more mindful one. We can thank heaven to live in a democracy now. We ought to protect it. For Willa.
No hidden dislikes from us. We only remove degrading or offensive comments since we want our channel to be a place for open communication. But also, we don't simply let rude people take over the comment section...We welcome different opinions. Yes, terribly sick that some deny these atrocities happened.
Wow crazy to think that i would recognice this place right away. We went there i think in 9th graded for a school field trip. That´s now 6 years ago i think. Seeing these Rooms and the whole yard still makes me feel very weird. It´s great that you went there, I think it´s important for every german to be confronted with this kind of experience and if other people can sympathize with it the same way it´s even better
I am relieved that you seem to not hate germans now. because even I (german) feel so much hate when I deal with what was done to people. So I would actually understand it. But you show that you do not just follow your first instinct but are very reflected and fair. I very much appreciate your videos and really love how open-minded you are. Thank you for sharing your experience and showing that there are such great people like you outthere ^^
Thanks for recognizing that part of our experience. It's true that a lot of people from the US have a negative outlook on Germany and only remember Germany as the Nazi's and how the US was the "hero" of WWII. Thankfully we have the chance to learn so much more about Germany's beautiful traditions and country and gain a wider understanding at what Germans are proud of. We love Germany and the Germans we have met ❤
I was in Dachau 25 years ago around KZ, will never forget the day in November. In my home on Lake Constance there was a subcamp of Dachau and to this day a concentration camp cemetery.
I have been there for three times, once with three kids age 11. They really did a lot since I was there. By that time we only could see a film in the Kommandantur, and then walk around outside. The buildings were closed, partly because of winter, partly because they had been owned by a company until just a short time before, and so they had not been open yet. And still it was very impressive.
Great video. If you want to visit other concentration camps, I can recommend Bergen Belsen. I have been there myself and I was very impressed by the extent of this camp. There is almost nothing left standing there, but you can often still see the foundation walls. There you can also see how many people were buried there each time. Seeing the numbers leaves you speechless. As a German, it made me realize once again that you must never forget this time.
I think it's very good that you are also addressing this sad part of Germany. This terrible time in the Federal Republic of Germany has largely been dealt with over the years and, as you can see here, not hidden but kept alive in the minds of the people. “Never again” is one of the country's basic definitions. Germany faced this injustice. Other countries with a similarly sad past, whether it is the colonial era or the invasion of the Americas by Europeans including the mass murder of the native population or the fate of the enslaved Africans, have failed to do so. In part, this injustice is still completely hardened today. The look at the fate of the First Nations of the Americas, whose descendants are now partly crammed into reservations in their own country, or the slavery must make one shudder. In the United States, however, I have encountered very little regret or compassion. Sure, at least one goes now to take the dubious southern generals off the monuments. That won't be enough. For many countries it would be an asset to face the terrible past, as in Germany. You can never make up for it. But one must not forget the injustice. ...
I once visited CC memorial Buchenwald and besides all the tragic that happened there what we learnt about in school, what I didn‘t know was that it was located so close to Weimar. Weimar a synonym for high culture with Goethe, Schiller, Lessing, Bauhaus and only a few kilometers afar was pure tragic and evil
Glad you made this video of your experience visiting the Flossenburg death camp. I had the opportunity to visit the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Once you visit one of these camps, it changes your life completely and you realize the great inhumanity and torture of fellow human beings.
My main memory to a visit in KZ Dachau was the extreme chilly coldness. I was there wearing a thick warm Jacket and shivered after 10 minutes outside. Its unimaginable that they hat to stand or march there in that thin KZ clothing for hours, and that probably was only a minor worry for the inmates compared to the other cruelties they had to bear. I doubt one who was not imprisoned there can EVER fully fathom how they felt. While I can not change what happened back then, the memory of it influences my political votes.
I remember, when i was in school, we went to Auschwitz. And it was pure horror. We went to the Gas-Chambers and I completely collapsed. It was so disturbing, standing next to the walls... love your video but i must cry, i cannot stand it
First of all I am soo happy you are back!!!! My wife and I went to Dachau (near Munich) This consentration camp was the first one and you can see the remains of the shelters as well as the shower rooms and crematoriums This is really shocking!!! It gives you an idea how it was in Auschwitz.
You miss something. There is a "Steinbruch" at that location too. After years ago I visited it with the school and at the moment I saw the hole to put the corpse faster down to the Krematorium it gave me a shock. Because I was dreaming of the exact hole. I never saw it before. I was dream about that and years ago I saw it in real life for the first time in my life. As today I will never understand how that can be impossible. (sorry for my bad English. Greats from Germany :).)
Evil triumphs only because good people do nothing. Thats what my grandfather taught me as an even more grumpy bavarian as i am. Another thing he taught me: The biggest sucsess satan ever had was to make people believe he doesnt exist. Thank you so much for this clip 👍
Not just because of this section but all the other ones that I have watched, I have to say that you guys make me cry!!!! I am German but have lived in the States since 1966. Did you ask the locals in Graffenwehr what the US army used to do around there? You need to try a Thuringen bratwurst and I would like to see your reaction to saurbraten!!!! Thanks!!!!!
If you want to learn more about that time I would recommend taking the time and visiting Ausschwitz- Birkenau near Krakau in Poland. It sadly was one of the biggest camps(I think THE biggest) where a lot of buildings still are in place. We've been there in 10 th Grade after learning a lot about that time in history lessons. And even if it wasnt a welcoming place, I wouldnt want to miss the memorie. You really get a feel for the dimensions of calculative murder that happend there. So impressive in a bad way. They offer guided tours in many languages
Well, I think it's great that they kept all of that in order to never forget. We learn about it in school and there are a lot of documentaries on TV (f.e. on ZDF History). Most of the people nowerdays are not responsible for what happened im the 30s and 40s but we have to make sure that a horror like this will never ever happen again.
Many years back I went to visit Buchenwald in Weimar, which was one of the better known camps. It was tough aswell to be there, oppressive giving you a real heavy heart to think about what happened there to people. To see the alleged doctor's practice where people were told to stand back on a wall to be measured for height - to be shot through a small hole into the neck from a back room or the basement where they hung people and if people weren't quite dead, guards had the order to add their own weight to the victims. I came out of the basement crying like mad and then the crematorium where the ovens are - there still seemed to be a sweetly smell remaining (probably from burning flesh). I will never ever forget that. Horrible, how humans can treat other humans like that. I still have hope that we may learn from mistakes made in the past to create a better future for all without racism (but unfortunately some people nowadays show clearly that they have learned nothing and that is very sad!)
Yes.....never let 'history' repeat itself. Devastating!! Yet our global situation, momentarily, is tiptoeing towards an inbalance in our Infrastrukturen of our social and mental lives. Atrocities are often just a stone throw away......! Right?! We need to stand up for what we believe in. Most importantly for our children❤️💋🙏
yep it's part of our history, it happened and we have to face it and deal with it. At least that's how i was brought up in the 70's and 80's. In history class we covered the era from 1933 to 1945 for roughly a year extensively. Maybe better said 1919 - 1949 with the focus on 33 to 45, including watching documentaries which was pretty modern in the 70's. It might have been different in the 50's and 60's, but from the late 60's onwards there was change of perspective which culminated in the famous speech of the former Bundespräsident Richard von Weizäcker on may 8th 1985 when for the first time a (west) german political leader said that may 8th was a day of liberation and not (just) defeat. But it took 40 years to see it that way publically, politically. Most Germans who experienced the war as adults considered the end of the war as defeat, Stunde 0, shame of loosing etc. Stunde 0 might still be appropriate because nothing was like before. Both my parents experienced war, my mum as a child, refugee from Pomerania and my dad even became a soldier at the age of 17 and spent 4 years in Sowjet prison camp until 1949. So both knew what war meant and taught us about war and and did their share of by teaching us being open minded and one thing was - there were several options with shools to choose from - to send us on a college Gymnasium that was well known for having 70% pupils from all over the world. They wanted us to be exposed to different cultures, relgions, languages... back then i did not think about it too much, but much later in life i realised how carefully they were pushing us in a certain direction in order to do their share to prevent it happening all over again...
I always wonder what kind of people it takes to basically go to work every day, being paid, then return home for dinner...having spent those hours, torturing and murdering people. Which still happens today! And these are my ancestors no less. If I think about my grandparents (all deceased) it's inconceivable that any of them could have done that (they didn't but the men were all drafted and most died in Russia or were captured there). But there was one relative who thankfully was killed in 1946 who was never ever spoken of in the entire family. Because he was a guard in a place like that :( I only know because my grandpa had dementia towards the end of his life and would mention his name and then cry. My mother always rushed him immediately. The shame still ran so deep even though my parents were born years after the war.
The atmosphere and the experience during such a visit is the most intense thing I have been to ( touristically ). It should be every German's duty to visit one ...still today..
Flossenbürg is a small KZ. There was a lot Nightmare what is happened. At 11:20 you see Pyramid of human ashes behind the Wall where People was Killed with Firearms. At 11:55 you see a Picture from a famous Pastor, who was killed in Flossenbürg only a few weeks before the War ended. In the Imprisonment he wrote an impressive text that he was never left alone by the good powers. The text gives hope in the darkest hours. The Text is unfortunately in German, but the melody alone shows how moving the text is. Here is the Link to this Text/Song: ua-cam.com/video/aN7dGz6NH5M/v-deo.html
It may sound a bit cynical at first, but a visit to the café on the museum grounds is highly recommended. Not only because of the great cakes offered there, but because the café places special emphasis on creating jobs for people with disabilities. In the environment of the café, people with disabilities can take responsibility and receive support where it is needed. In a way, the message behind this can be seen as the implementation of the motto "Never again". Nazi Germany regarded people with disabilities as "unworthy of life" and committed heinous crimes against them. And today, the historically prejudiced site, which can be seen as the epitome of the inhuman Nazi ideology, is used to do good: By giving people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in our society and supporting them in doing so.
I highly recommend the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg. Nuremberg is one of the epicenters during the Nazi time. There are the remains of one of the Mega buildings Hitler wanted to build. Today there is the Doc. Center there. With all that history already inside these walls, this center was one of the most intense when it comes to this time in our history.
I recommend the concentration camp in Sachsenhausen in the north of Berlin. I've been the two times and find it fabulous. Of cause l mean it in terms of education and presentation - not what happened back then. Even after the second time I am stunned how cruel it was. And I mean I've been educated that history over several years in school over and over again. My first visit was a school trip in 9th grade to Berlin. It also included the museum "Story of Berlin" and its air-raid shelter with a raid simulation.
Tanner says that we learned a lot in the US but I would not say so. I live near a small KZ site in Hannover where women were put to work in the continental factory. But if you really want a tough pill to swallow, Bergen-Belsen is a place everyone should visit. It's not as nice as Flossenbürg looks. Middle of the forest, no beautiful scenery but mounds of mass graves. Coming from the US its greatly different to be standing in these locations and feel the energy compared to reading something in a school book. I also suggest when you see the Stolpersteine in the cities to take a moment and think about how that person(s) were taken from their homes. It is really scary to think that some parts of the world are so close to actions like that again. It sickens me when I see the political divide in the US and then stop to look at a Stolpersteine placed for a political opponent who died for challenging the Nazis. We are so close to that happening again. Everyone should learn and experience these places.
Thanks for your comment Eric der Ami. Of course, there are many people (including myself) that should have learned more about these events growing up. I was mainly stating that from my full school year of advanced History classes, there was a greater emphasis on WWII, the concentration camps, war crimes, etc. than compared to other basic history classes that were available to me. Thanks for the tips to visit Bergen-Belsen. I can't imagine the horror and threat those experienced. Let alone to think about the divide that is alive and thriving in the US, and the rest of the world. It's sickening to think about how humanity has declined to such low morals and support for such divide. That's where we can all try to be kind, supportive of good causes and be open to different ideas, cultures, etc. I'm far from perfect, but still trying every day. Wishing you the best.
It speaks volumes that you as Americans have learned as much about WWII being on the winning side and being the "good guys" as Germans have learned about WWII (probably more) as the losers and the villains. Would the US put the same effort in telling the story if the roles were reversed? If you think about how other parts of not so glorious (US) history are taught in American schools, you probably know the answer to that.
Totally agree with you RX 2904. There is not enough education taught about what early settlements and explorers did to the Native American Indians, Mexicans, and more groups. It's a fault that comes from being viewed as the "right" country when it comes to most international or domestic event. In high school I took and advanced history class where I learned the most about WWII, the Vietnam war, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm so glad I did because the basic classes didn't give the time to focus on some of those hard to hear lessons.
if you´r ever interessted_ near the town of weimar: Buchenwald! as a mate born in the (former) gdr: is it allowed? my deepest bow you took this trip!..
As a German I might be a little over sensitive, but taking any kind of pictures in a memorial to the Holocaust or even calling it "your experience" sounds kinda offensive to me. Cause you know, its not there for you, but for all the people who have suffered and died in these places. Of course you are the one who remembers, but it's still about the remembered people to me. (not only Jewish people btw, but also disabled people and those who disagreed with the nazi regime.) but as I said, I might be oversensitive.
Thanks for your insight Paul. I guess we see the memorials created for everyone to remember the lives of those who were lost, and deeply affected by what happened here. I don't think you are being oversensitive at all, but everyone can and should be informed and learn from this time in history and many others like it.
I recommend visiting Bergen-Belsen (not far from Hannover, close to where I live) where Anne Frank and her sister died and Buchenwald near the city of Weimar. Weimar was home of Goethe and Schiller. It is one of the... let's say... most important places to visit in Germany to understand German history. You should plan more than one day to experience BOTH the beauty of the city AND the horrors of a concentration camp.
I think you can now better understand why we Germans have a difficult relationship to national pride. We do not, and from my point of view we should never do, celebrating national pride like the people in the US. Where I currently live, a small town in Western Germany, you don´t see the national flag at any houses except in front of the Townhall. I love my country for all the good things that have taken place in the about last 70 years. Germany is now a stable democracy and a great place to be. You prove it to us with all the great pictures here on your channel. But I am not proud being a German.
From USA, I don't think you should feel personally bad for the past. It was horrendous but that isn't you! Thankfully we don't have to make life or death decisions. Americans have treated many cultures horribly, Indigenous People, Japanese, African Americans and currently Black Americans. We can only learn from the past and hopefully improve how we treat each other!
@@OurStorytoTell I like living there you have everything you need. You will get used to the memorial because you almost see it everyday. The heaviest feeling i get is at the Valley of death.
Hi guys, well, now you stepped into the dark PAST of our history and I would like to propose to visit just one or two other main concentrations camps which always should remember that such, in general a war, should never, never happen again. You both also know the change how is Germany today. Avoid getting more and more depressed about this sort of humans and be assure not all germans were the same that times. Just realize that some humans can be even more worse than an animal bestie. Well, even lot of other countries have a bad history part relating to humans and the whole world doesnt talk about that much. Dont missunderstand, its not an excuse for this time when comparing with other countries. Btw, I think you once mentioned less pride of germans which obviously is seen by not hanging out flags. Well, we do at time of soccer championships only and not other times just to avoid that the rest of the world will point out with fingers to us mainly with their thoughts behind: uups, it will start again. Please do me a favour with questioning yourself: how could this happen. A good answer you will find watching the movie The Wave. I am not sure but different versions exist. I saw the one with an experiement on a highschool in california which ended the way, that the teacher told them that the same aspirations started on other schools as well and the leader of all will talk to them in the auditorium via streaming his speech. They were shocked when Hitler talked to them. Also take into consideration and comparing with todays times to less educated, less connected via social medias, unsure people of their own future and life, when all this started. Again and least: a war should never, never happen again and dont forget those who have gone thru it who did not survived. Enjoy your family life today and in future.
It is one of the rare occations when rainy fall weather matches the mood of the hour.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience and thoughts. Warm regards from the staff of Flossenbürg Memorial to you and all viewers
Thanks for your comment. It makes us happy to hear of your approval. Warm regards!
First and foremost: Thank you for making this tour and vlogging about it. I appreciate the silent and empathic way you did this, and I would like to tell you about the consequences that war can carry into the post-war generations.
My Mum was born in 1929, which means she was a teenager during the war.
She never told me what she had to go through at the age of 14 together with my grandmother - only when I was already about 35 years old did I learn the story on a gloomy autumn evening when I accused my mother of being racist.
I had fallen in love with a Senegalese. And she permanently refused to meet him. What I did not understand. Hadn't she always taught me that all people and all skin colors were equal? She burst into tears because of my reproach. And then she told me this:
(important to know that my family lived in Rheinland Pfalz, which as you well know, was in the hand of the US allies. And I am not blaming the US allies for what happened. Don't get it wrong please!)
ATTENTION: Trigger warning! Even though I will try to keep it short, this might not be a story for people with war traumata.
Under tears my Mom told me:
"One evening, Grandma and I had to hike through a fairly remote forest on our way home. It was already dusk and from a distance we heard a jeep approaching. In it sat four drunken black soldiers. They stopped and while one stayed by the vehicle to stand guard, the other three began to grope us. We tried to escape, but it was too late. Two GIs raped Grandma and I had to watch. The third soldier then tried it on me, but I was strong and he was extremely drunk, he tore my dress to shreds but did not manage to overpower me. In his frustration he almost bit off one of my nipples. Then the soldier standing guard called them to leave, and they did.
Grandma and I sat down and leaned against a tree trunk for a long time, stunned. When it was dark, we dared to go back to the village. The village doctor stitched up my wound, but the war had used up all the anesthetics. I had to make it without anesthesia.
We sneaked back into the house (at that time they lived with my great-grandparents in the village, because their house in the city had been bombed), no one was allowed to see us. Grandma said "when your dad returns from captivity, we must never tell him about it, otherwise he won't love us anymore." I have not talked about it with anyone until today, my dear. But that's the reason why I can't meet your new friend. I panic when I see black men. Even when I'm riding a bus sitting in the back, and one enters it in the front, I have to get off because I break out in a sweat. And shortness of breath."
My mother could never come to terms with this trauma. She was'nt racist at all, she just could not handle her panic. The morals of the 40s did not allow to talk about it. And psychologists were still considered "docs for lunatics" at that time.
To make a long story short: I married the Senegalese. My mother did not know about it, I only told her that we were a couple. I kept her out of it to spare her, because she didn't even want me to tell her about him. I kept my family name, which was possible at that time because of a new law.
Thus, war experiences influence even generations that have not experienced the war. I have often wished to meet the soldier personally. And to tell him (without hatred or anger) what consequences his deed had up to even my generation. I would have been interested to see how he would have reacted and whether a peaceful conversation would have been possible. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame him much. He was drunk and those two women in the forest were "from the enemie's side"....... It was not okay what he did, but things like this happen in each and every war.
Why am I telling all this here now? Because it is a good example of how far-reaching the consequences of war are, and how important it is not to forget, and to ensure that no new wars arise.
Wow that is heartbreaking to hear. It is definitely not okay what he did. Thank for sharing your family’s story so that we better can understand the lasting & far-reaching effects of war.
@@OurStorytoTell Thank YOU for reading my "wall of text"!
Danke dass sie ihre Geschichte hier erzählt haben. Auch wie sie sie erzählten ( mit Vorwarnzng um was es gehen würde)
Wie wichtig sie ist möchte ich die dritte Geneation erzählen und qarum es wichtig ist, das ea nie zu spät ist die eigene Famuluengeschichte zu erfahren. Wer es nicht kann zu reden bitte... schreibt sie auf. Warum? Die Wahrheit muss eurer Familie bleiben.
Was nützt es bis 16** Jrd eine Tafel zu haben. und auf der andwrwn seite zu wissen beides auch in der Familie von vermutung bis wajrscheinlich duch nachgewiesrne schriften mit sicherheit Täter UND Opfer in sich zu haben es ist wie einbeinig laufen..😔
Und das weil weil msn wirklich wissen wollte und FloskelSätzen auf den Grund ging.
Einige kannte ich aber wie vielw es wirklichen erfuhr ich erst un lerzten 20 Jahren. Warum ich hier schreibe in den letzten 5. Und Brunnen ist noch nicht zu Ende.
Denn die Wahrheir ist auch es gibt den anderen Fuss die schweigen wollen und ich gebe mein Möglichstes zu zeigen: So viele Biographien können nicht lügen... hier die auch nicht 👉
Bitte die ihr noch seid und wisst, sprecht. Auf die Weise die euch möglich ist.
Oder übergebt es an
Yad Vashem
PS.
Danke und ich hoffe es wird übersetzt wenn sie sie lesen würden.
Es gibt hier Menschen die das nie wieder wollen für niemanden.
I think on the one hand, those sites feel eery, depressing and make you feel overwhelmed. But on the other hand, when I see kids like Willa there and when I think about the world those camps exist in today, as a memorial, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful, almost peaceful. They are a testament to great suffering and the cruelty humans are capable of. But also to the fact that the world can change, that in spite of all the issues that still exist, it has changed for the better in many ways. That everyone and every generation has a chance, but also the obligation to do better.
@@BaluDerBaer933 It isn't closed.
You‘re braver than I am. I read a lot of first hand accounts before I moved to Germany. I decided not to go, because I’m aware of what happened, in great detail. I remember thinking that during the football world cup, hosted in Germany, in 2006, it was the first time I had seen obvious national pride and heard the anthem sung so happily and often. It’s a heavy historical burden that Germans do not shy away from. I’m very glad to see so much appreciation of today’s Germany on UA-cam.
I am German and thank you very much for your respectful and empathetic video. As students in school we visited a concentration camp. I visited a few more after that. Each time I was moved by the documented suffering. In Sachsenhausen concentration camp I cried in front of the barbed wire and signs warning of deadly gunfire.
The subject of concentration camps is close in my family. My grandfather ran a company. He resisted attempts to win him over to the NSDAP. He had to give forced labour to concentration camp inmates from the concentration camp in his small town (a sub camp I found on the map at 3:47 in your video). He was fortunately never sued or charged for this.
If you want to see feature films about the horrors of the Nazi era, I recommend "Schindler's List" by Steven Spielberg and "For those I loved" by Robert Enrico. I am looking forward to your further visits to concentration camps.
Thanks for sharing your experience and the movie recommendations. We are looking forward to visiting more in the future and we'll be sure to share some thoughts.
Pay respects ... yes ... eternally unspeakably sad ... never to be forgotten. Thank You!
Most German schools take ninth grade students on a field trip to a concentration camp as part of history class, and I think I speak from the heart of everyone here when I say that this is the worst / most emotional day of school. I for one am 24, neither my parents nor grandparents were in the war, yet we carry the burden of our ancestors on our shoulders.
On the one hand, it is very, very hard, on the other hand, it is very sad that, unfortunately, almost no country besides Germany does it. Every country has done bad things: the Australians, the Americans, the Canadians, China, Turkey, Belarus, ... the list is far too long. But unfortunately, many are neither acknowledging their guilt nor showing it openly. I think they should take us as an example and openly acknowledge the deeds of the past.
Thanks for your comment. We agree with you!
I am german myself and I do not carry any burden. I just decided for myself to never commit crimes like this.
My grandmother is from Dachau and we used to visit family there regularly. When I was five and my brother nine he was very curious about visiting the concentration camp, because he of course had heard of it.
My parents didn't know I had taught myself to read and thought I wouldn't understand much. My mother waited with me in a hall that only showed objects of the victims. I will never forget the horror I felt when I found shoes my size and out of curiosity started reading the explanation next to it. I kept thinking "they could have killed me too". It felt so real I never got rid of the feeling of complete shock and fear.
Wow, what a feeling and memory to have. Thanks for sharing part of your experience there. I'm sure it's tough to reflect on those moments at times.
@@OurStorytoTell it's not haunting me luckily, but thinking of the moment I can sense the feeling again. When I was a teenager I often thought about how lucky I was to be born later and how much bigger the horror must have felt for the people that were sent there. I definitely feel part of my nation though and sense the country's history as my own history, too.
We have a "Stolperstein" in our Town for a 10 Year old Girl. I can't imagine all the horror that girl must have went through before her end, when she should have had a happy childhood with lots of fun and joy instead. It makes me feel so sad and unbelievable angry about my country. I always watch out for Stolpersteine and read them. I clean them if they are dirty and i never step on them. They always make me think about those people back then. The perpetrators and their victims. Living their lives together just a few years earlier. That part of our History is never far away. It's always close. We have to remember.
Thank you for sharing this. It brought me to tears because my great-grandfather was killed in the Flossenbürg concentration camp in 1942. 🥺 I had exchanged some emails with the memorial office and I plan to visit one day but I havent’t had the courage to do so yet (none of my family have). This way I can at least see what to expect…. Btw, It’s very strange to see a residential area right next to it 😯
Please take courage and come visit this place. Honor your ancestor at his resting place. Experience the history of this place and his context in the present.
Then you'll understand so much better (maybe even your last question...)
You're very welcome!
Wow, thanks for sharing your very personal experience ❤ yes, we agree that it waa strange having so many houses so close to the camp.
I really understand your feelings seeing the houses - I was so abhorred by them - I never could live in such a place. The church you see is built with the stones of a watchtower. Then I read in the description, that this was the wish of the survivors: they wanted this place to serve life instead of serving death, and in the same way the stones to serve life instead of serving death. Well, I guess they just had seen too many deaths and wanted to set a sign, that they needed to live! In their eyes it meant, that death has been overcome by live now. But - in my eyes "the blood of our brothers cries out to me from the ground". The wish of the former prisoners is understandable only to my brain, or better only to a part of my brain. Everything else is crying out: O no! - it is a cursed place, and it's only use is the warning: never again. As the prisoners wanted it to be a place of life again, the ground was sold to a company. Until it became bankrupt. Same with the next company. Same with the next. Until they opened the whole place except the houses for the memorial. But again: I never would live in such a house, not if I were paid for.
And yet - as long you see it as a place of mourning - that's what this place allows - to share the tears of those who have been there. To you it might be a place to get in touch with your families history. It is not only your great-grandfather who died - part of the hearts of his family died there as well. His children were traumatized, and this trauma also affects the next generation, your parents. It will be good to stand the trauma, to bid the farewell to your great-grandfather, that he had been denied, and then to return and hug your parents and, if still possible, your grandparents. Only by this, death can be overcome by life again.
it is nice that this video was slowed down, calm and you cared about the special history of that place. this is how we all should deal with these kind of memorials. we should never forget what was done there and do everything, that it will never happen again. maybe to improve your next visits, the most ppl don't like it, if these memorials are called concentrations camp, but concentrations camp memorial. this is important for many ppl.
Thank you so much for the suggestion. That is a better way to word it. We added Memorial into the title & next time we will include it when talking. ❤️
Yeah we went to concentration camps in school a few times. It really hits hard. And I completely agree that it hits even harder if you were informed of what exactly happened before you actually walk those halls or pathways. That being said, the weather fit the place perfectly. x_x Did you ever watch Schindler's List? We watched it in school, too and man, that one hits hard, too. I really appreciate that they keep the sites. It sounds so far aways when you learn about it in school and then you drive for what feels like 5 minutes and "it happened right here". I really appreciate that you went to the concentration camp. It's so easy to say "It didn't happen in my country, it has nothing to do with me", but those great tragedies, in my opinion, should be remembered by everyone to make sure, that they never happen again. No matter where it is. Same goes for Germans learning about other countries' pasts, of course. One can't undo it, but should learn from it and make better choices in the future.
It is important to learn from films, books, and lectures. But to be at the scene of the action yourself is completely different. Even if it was a long time ago and you don't see the people live. It is good that our mothers and fathers decided to preserve such monuments. It gives an important experience to everyone who visits them. Sometimes it is difficult for people through puberty. But mostly these impressions affect such young people as well. It is not "nice", but very good that you did this to yourself! - And reported about it !!! Danke!
Thank you for the empathetic video. It's nice to have you here with us in germany.
Thank you two adults for your thoughtful and thought-provoking video. Yet again, the (possibly unintended) highlight was Willa. Seeing a small, smiling girl at the memorial site of such unspeakable horrors allows for hope. Hope that future generations can learn, change, and actually live in a better place, yet still not forget or ignore the past.
Thank you again.
Great respect how you faced (and treated) the deepest and darkest times of german history. I've never been to a cc in Germany but I visited Theresienstadt in Czech Republic and can feel with you concerning these experiences and emotions. The intro already gave me shivers and the weather surely played its part too. A perfect video for the "memorial month" (for the deads) of november.
No more Auschwitz, no Bergen Belsen ,no more Guantanamo,no more Wounded Knee,no more "walks of tears"...
We all carry the burden of shame.
When will we ever learn?
I have to admit: that's a camp I have never heard of. Well done for covering one of those lesser known ones.
Good video! Next time I'm in the USA I have to visit the National Museum of the American Indian to learn more about the American Natives and their cultures. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, there is still no major memorial to the 10 million "disappeared" Indians in the USA yet..
It really is unfortunate and we wish America paid more tribute to them! Risa’s great grandma was from Hungary and when she moved to Utah she worked at a school with Native Americans. We still have jewelry that she made with them. Growing up in Idaho and Utah we learned about the tribes that used to live in our area and many stories of them, but we 100% agree that more tribute needs to be given & history needs to be told.
This is OUR Story to tell. It's a sad but important one.
In history class in our school, we went on a trip to a concentration camp. There was a big difference between being told about it and reading about it, or seeing the atrocities on the spot. It was really hard, but I am glad that there are these museums and memorials in Germany.
Your visit in Flossenbürg makes you more german than most of native germans . i´m 57 years old and visit a concentration camp only once in my live , when i was in school . ( Bergen Belsen ) .
The way you create this video makes me happy , because you are not pointing the finger on us , but remember us .Very empathic and dignified . Thank you .
Thanks E P. We appreciate your comment!
Thank you for this calm and decent video!
These places are very important to learn and to reflect!
I wish more countries in this world would try to deal with their past where horror was made from humans to humans.
Thanks for watching! We agree.
I am always glad that we have these memorials to remember what happened and that this never happens again.
But... I find it very sad that the USA does not have the same for its victims, but keeps this dead silent and it is a taboo.
We agree with you!
@@OurStorytoTell Yes, I've heard that many times now, that these issues are taboo in America and tend to be forgotten. Very sad...
Thank you for this video! Very well done! We never visited that one, but we have visited Dachau and that had a big impact on us as Germans now living in the US! We took our then 13 years old son and the sadness what overcame him showed the horror what happened so many years ago and reminded us: WE CANNOT ALLOW HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF!
Thank you so very much for your video! After watching it, I could not stop the tears. My dad was put in that camp after fighting the Nazis in Warsaw Poland as a very young man. He and a friend had torched a Nazi fuel depot and the Nazis came to his village and had everyone gather in the square. They told the people that whoever destroyed the depot to turn themselves in or they were going to execute every male in the village. To show they meant what they said, they threw a live young girl into a bonfire in the square. He surrendered with his friend and he was sent to Flossenberg. My father never talked about what had happened to him until he started having health issues later in his life. He was liberated by the American Army while on the "Death March" and after leaving the hospital recovering from weighing only 49 pounds at 19 years old, he joined the Polish Guard working with the American Army in Munich. After four years, he left Germany and came to the United States. I was first born and born on his birthday! My father lived a long life and passed away a few years ago at age 90!
Looking at your video reminded me of all the stories that he did finally tell me although many I can't repeat because it was too gruesome and graphic.
😭😭 What a comment to read. We have chills. Thank you for sharing your story with us. We are very grateful he made it out alive- even though it sounds like barely. What a strong man he must have been! ❤️
well, me as a german i am proud that we are able to remind everyone at everyday about this dark history. the mindset about this is "never forget and let it never happen again". from my point of view should this memorials remind the whole world not only germans. we have learned our lesson ..... but if you look to the actual world, it is really happen again in an other country and nothing we can do ..... look over to china ..... its really happen again ....
@@BaluDerBaer933 Sie sind widerlich! 😵
We have to remember the past as to not repeat. Thank you for filming.
My Experience with Concentration Camps comes from a Visit in Dachau. This was a really memerable expirience. I visited there with my school Class (Students of years 17-19) and one could see how the tour and the great tour guide impacted everyone pretty hard but also pretty diffrent. If you want to Visit Dachau Memorial aswell i definitly would recommend getting a guided tour (though i do not know if they are avaible there in english, maybe as an Audio Guide only?). The Guided tour was a really emotional ride of our German History of that time and i can really recommend that.
Yes, we did the same trip decades ago, it had a large impact on me as well.
Thank you for the recommendation. We will go.
It is worth pointing out that, unlike many of the camps, most of the prisoners at Flossenburg were non-Jews. They were predominantly political prisoners, asocials, such as homosexuals, and Russian prisoners of war. These included numerous Germans, such as the anti-Nazi dissident and Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
My family lost a member there - for supporting the anti-Nazi resistance - he only survived a little less than 2 months there 😢
Yes, in the great number of jewish victims, many others are often forgotten.
@@holger_p and yes, he was a Roman Carholic
Yes thank you for pointing that out.
Thank you for a thoughtful and well tempered video on your visit. Let us make sure that history will not repeat itself, ever. Beware of the populists in all countries.
the first time we did a school field trip to a concentration camp we did it in the cold because our history teacher wanted us to understand how it must have been for the prisoners. It certainly hits different if you stand out there in the cold instead of bright sunshine and a nice breeze.
Yes the weather really makes a difference when you visit those places. A few years back, I visited Auschwitz and I was very glad it was on a bright and sunny day because I don't know if I would have been able to follow the tour to the end otherwise. I still had nightmares for a few days after that. But I'm glad that I mustered the courage to go there.
I've been watching your videos and others videos of Germany and although I know it's important, it was hard to allow myself to watch this, so much suffering. I'm very aware of what happened, even studied it in great detail in a college course, but I'm glad I did. What really surprised me was seeing what appears to be residential homes around it. That is one place I could never live, my heart and soul couldn't take it.
It was really hard for us to imagine people living right there as well. Thanks for facing the uncomfortable & watching! 💗
After seeing that you might feel the collective guilt that most of us Germans still feel that won't wear off. For that reason patriotism is still considered somehow wrong because those who committed those crimes against humanity were self proclaimed 'patriots' and nationalists. My parents' generation was so ashamed that most of them would never talk about the war.
Same here. I only know that my father felt lucky to become a POW in France - he was brought into a POW camp on Guernsey - because it meant for him that the fighting was over.
I don't know if that's a generational thing but I am 25 and I don't feel any guilt for it since it's not something I could be made responsible for but rather I feel a strong sense of responsibility of keeping the memory of it alive, to educate, remember and to make sure something like this never happens again. Also in contrast to your parents my grandparents (born in the 1920's) are/were very openly talking about their experiences, the horrors, the shame, everything. I felt like I could also ask the difficult questions and they are/were willing to answer. In fact my grandfather even wrote down his memories and handed them to each of his children, grandchildren and the local community such that they will never be forgotten.
@@CHarlotte-ro4yi yes it's generational. I'm 45, my parents experienced WWII as children, my grandparents were actively involved. My one grandfather was a Nazi, my other grandfather was a Wehrmacht soldier. I feel guilt, even if I know by logic it's not my fault. Guilt and shame. It passed on to me from my grandparents, who were terribly ashamed of having been part of the nation that brought so much horror to humanity.
@@helgaioannidis9365 I see...Thanks for sharing this! I guess the difference for me is that my grandparents both were teenagers during that time, so kind of dragged into it unwillingly (a bit like your parents as well) especially my grandfather who in 1943 turned 18 and had no choice but to join the Wehrmacht.
@@CHarlotte-ro4yi that is great because this feeling of shame ( maybe that describes it better than guilt) has a lot to do with the silence that not only I experienced. There are a lot of books about that and the men coming home from POW camps years after the war, defeated and beaten instead as the heroes they went off as . Psychology today knows about the effect these things can have on several following generations. You are absolutely right by saying it is our duty and responsibility to help prevent these horrible things from ever happening again. Let's all hope we'll succeed.
Great job on explaining the history of the building, soundtrack, and filming also were great. It is a sensitive subject, heart breaking, but at the same time part of the history. Thank you for sharing your day visiting the concentration camp. Your videos are getting better and better each time. I really appreciate the videos you are posting. Wonderful job.
We really appreciate your kind comments! They give us extra motivation. ❤️
Thanks for addressing such a vulnerable and hard topic and drawing attention to it. I have been to Mauthausen in school almost ten years ago and it is still a memory that will stick with me forever. It is a pity that what China is doing with the Uiguren is said to be "the modern holocaust and other countries turn a blind eye to it as Chinas economic and military power is to intimidating.
What is happening in China isn't similar at all. There was a big violent separatist terrorism campaign going on in Xinjiang, 10% of the Uyghur population got put into camps and the terrorism stopped completely. The people in the camps aren't being exterminated. Harsh? Yes. Acceptable in Western society? No. But genocide? Nope. And comparable to WW2 concentration camps? Not in the least.
Countries aren't 'turning a blind eye'. Countries just have far better information about what is actually happening than the regular Joe or Jane (who get most of their information from very one-sided sources) does.
A fascinating tour of this camp. It was the final place of internment and death of my father's cousin, Captain Brian Rafferty of the Special Operations Executive. I intend one day to visit to see it for myself. Thank you for making this film.
Thanks 🙏 . We hope you can visit it one day as well, especially since it has significance to your family.
Thanks for posting. Been wanting to take a visit but hard times. My grandfather served in europe he among others were flossenburg subcamp liberators of the womens camp zwodau and falkenau. He never talked about the war he passed before I was born. I have a Nazi armband and Nazi medals passed down along with his bayonet.
Thanks for watching! It would be hard to visit when it hits so close to home. It’s hard to visit and learn about for anyone. 💛
one of the best vlogs about a concentration camp. Thx. Respektfull and Calm without the craving for klicks. Well done. May I ask you how is USA handlign the topic of there own camps for Japanies? Before shit storm. there were not as bad as those in germany. I know it. however its a part of US history, too.
Thanks Adam. It was a moving experience for us and we wanted to show it from a different perspective.
The US has a lot of work to do in regards to the oppression and that happened to the Japanese. The first part is definitely taking responsibility for a lot of the things happened. It has been something we know needs more attention and recognition. A touchy subject that has been handled poorly in our opinion.
@@OurStorytoTell thank you very much for your staight forward answare without juging. some would make a shit storm out of my question. I saw your Video about Hamburg. have you managed to see miniaturwunderland? its great thing for the little one. :-)
@@adamjurczak8606 No problem. We like to be pretty straightforward with topics like this as best as we can.
Yes! We went to the Miniaturwunderland! Didn't include it in our video, but we loved it and couldn't believe how detailed all the model cities are. Such a fun place to visit in an incredible city.
Back when I was at school we visited the KZ in Buchenwald. Ist was really hard seeing and thinking about what some sick people did to other people. Everybody needs to go and experience it so that something like that will never happen again.
very much appreciated that you visit the side.. We are good with a lot of things, but knowing that we Germans have done that too is important to stay on guard for ourselves. Thank you to bring that up!
I visited this camp in 1987 while stationed in Germany. It's very surreal. I remember seeing the ovens and where the pregnant women were experimented on. There were jars of buttons and other items from the victims. They did a wonderful job memorializing the victims, but great sadness to remember. It was a great reminder one of the reasons why I was also stationed there. It leaves a profound impact, if you ever visit the camps. God bless everyone lost and those left to remember.
I always feel physically sick whenever I think abput that part of Germany's history. The only comfort is that there was a lot of restistance as well (Berlin has a special museum for that and in Berlin-Plötzensee you can take a look at many death verdicts on germans who showed the slightest signs of resistance against the regime. There were far more german people showing that they were against the NS regime than Anne Frank and Stauffenberg. A part of my family also hid a jewish family before they fled to America. If only someone had managed to kill Hitler and his main supporters early in time.
I'm the same, it makes me physically sick to think about the horrors of the Holocaust and WW2!
Thankfully my grandfather who died recently at the age of 95 openly shared his memories of WW2 and the Nazi regime with us. My grandmother also often talks about it still and never ceases to mention how awfully feared they were of being openly in opposition, they used to say "keep your mouth shut otherwise you will end up in Dachau" which of course referred to the concentration camp situated there which was the closest to where my grandparents live. Yet I know that although my grandparents suffered, they were certainly "lucky" and as such on the wrong side of history in a way, which is something I am really struggling to wrap my head around, if you get what I mean....
@@BaluDerBaer933 Der Vergleich hinkt
Yes, we really do. We will always remember our first time visiting a Civil Rights museum in America. Gut wrenching.
The thing is: It is a must to look direct on that part of history and take it as it is...no denying, no soft washing and do not look away only because it is "soooo long ago"... the generation of the eye witnesses is passing out year by year and it is our turn to do everything that something like this will never ever happen again.
My kids will know about it!!! And i hope they will understand that it is not their fault as german citizens (i hate these nice people that only can say "but it's not MY fault, so why should I care") but they have a reponsibility out of that history. And i think in a way thats a good responsibility...keep your eyes, ears and minds open, look around you and mind the little thing that also where little things nearly 100 years ago when nobody could imagine what will happening 15 - 20 years later.
We know what happened and we know how it happened and we are able to see when there are things in our time that remember us of something...
I didn't know...that's something nobody should be able to say anymore!!!
There is one thought you should take away with you from this horrible place. THIS can happen everywhere and everytime, make sure it NEVER will!!!
Only a tiny minority of foreigners are doing visits like this one. It feels good that you are making a difference. Nazi sites are painful but necessary to see. You leave as a different person. A more mindful one. We can thank heaven to live in a democracy now. We ought to protect it. For Willa.
i am sure there are lots of hidden dislikes on this video
and even thinking that people deny this cruel tragedy makes me sick
No hidden dislikes from us. We only remove degrading or offensive comments since we want our channel to be a place for open communication. But also, we don't simply let rude people take over the comment section...We welcome different opinions.
Yes, terribly sick that some deny these atrocities happened.
maybe people dislike this video because a concentration camp is no prop to do a vlog. if you go there you should be respectful.
Wow crazy to think that i would recognice this place right away. We went there i think in 9th graded for a school field trip. That´s now 6 years ago i think. Seeing these Rooms and the whole yard still makes me feel very weird. It´s great that you went there, I think it´s important for every german to be confronted with this kind of experience and if other people can sympathize with it the same way it´s even better
I am relieved that you seem to not hate germans now. because even I (german) feel so much hate when I deal with what was done to people. So I would actually understand it. But you show that you do not just follow your first instinct but are very reflected and fair. I very much appreciate your videos and really love how open-minded you are. Thank you for sharing your experience and showing that there are such great people like you outthere ^^
Thanks for recognizing that part of our experience. It's true that a lot of people from the US have a negative outlook on Germany and only remember Germany as the Nazi's and how the US was the "hero" of WWII. Thankfully we have the chance to learn so much more about Germany's beautiful traditions and country and gain a wider understanding at what Germans are proud of. We love Germany and the Germans we have met ❤
A really though place to visit ... I've been there and I cried afterwards ... :´-( Thanks for sharing your experience.
I was in Dachau 25 years ago around KZ, will never forget the day in November. In my home on Lake Constance there was a subcamp of Dachau and to this day a concentration camp cemetery.
I have been there for three times, once with three kids age 11. They really did a lot since I was there. By that time we only could see a film in the Kommandantur, and then walk around outside. The buildings were closed, partly because of winter, partly because they had been owned by a company until just a short time before, and so they had not been open yet. And still it was very impressive.
Great video. If you want to visit other concentration camps, I can recommend Bergen Belsen. I have been there myself and I was very impressed by the extent of this camp. There is almost nothing left standing there, but you can often still see the foundation walls. There you can also see how many people were buried there each time. Seeing the numbers leaves you speechless. As a German, it made me realize once again that you must never forget this time.
Thank you for the recommendation! We agree they are important to see- so much to take away and remember!
I think it's very good that you are also addressing this sad part of Germany. This terrible time in the Federal Republic of Germany has largely been dealt with over the years and, as you can see here, not hidden but kept alive in the minds of the people. “Never again” is one of the country's basic definitions.
Germany faced this injustice. Other countries with a similarly sad past, whether it is the colonial era or the invasion of the Americas by Europeans including the mass murder of the native population or the fate of the enslaved Africans, have failed to do so. In part, this injustice is still completely hardened today. The look at the fate of the First Nations of the Americas, whose descendants are now partly crammed into reservations in their own country, or the slavery must make one shudder. In the United States, however, I have encountered very little regret or compassion. Sure, at least one goes now to take the dubious southern generals off the monuments. That won't be enough.
For many countries it would be an asset to face the terrible past, as in Germany. You can never make up for it. But one must not forget the injustice. ...
A sensitive video that fits the topic and shows how openly Germany deals with the atrocities of the Nazi regime.
I once visited CC memorial Buchenwald and besides all the tragic that happened there what we learnt about in school, what I didn‘t know was that it was located so close to Weimar. Weimar a synonym for high culture with Goethe, Schiller, Lessing, Bauhaus and only a few kilometers afar was pure tragic and evil
Glad you made this video of your experience visiting the Flossenburg death camp. I had the opportunity to visit the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Once you visit one of these camps, it changes your life completely and you realize the great inhumanity and torture of fellow human beings.
My main memory to a visit in KZ Dachau was the extreme chilly coldness. I was there wearing a thick warm Jacket and shivered after 10 minutes outside. Its unimaginable that they hat to stand or march there in that thin KZ clothing for hours, and that probably was only a minor worry for the inmates compared to the other cruelties they had to bear. I doubt one who was not imprisoned there can EVER fully fathom how they felt. While I can not change what happened back then, the memory of it influences my political votes.
I remember, when i was in school, we went to Auschwitz. And it was pure horror. We went to the Gas-Chambers and I completely collapsed. It was so disturbing, standing next to the walls... love your video but i must cry, i cannot stand it
First of all I am soo happy you are back!!!! My wife and I went to Dachau (near Munich) This consentration camp was the first one and you can see the remains of the shelters as well as the shower rooms and crematoriums This is really shocking!!! It gives you an idea how it was in Auschwitz.
You miss something.
There is a "Steinbruch" at that location too.
After years ago I visited it with the school and at the moment I saw the hole to put the corpse faster down to the Krematorium it gave me a shock.
Because I was dreaming of the exact hole. I never saw it before. I was dream about that and years ago I saw it in real life for the first time in my life.
As today I will never understand how that can be impossible.
(sorry for my bad English. Greats from Germany :).)
Great point you make there. It’s definitely worth mentioning and hard to imagine the level of cruelty and evil that happened there.
God bless your family for this videos
Evil triumphs only because good people do nothing. Thats what my grandfather taught me as an even more grumpy bavarian as i am. Another thing he taught me: The biggest sucsess satan ever had was to make people believe he doesnt exist. Thank you so much for this clip 👍
Not just because of this section but all the other ones that I have watched, I have to say that you guys make me cry!!!! I am German but have lived in the States since 1966. Did you ask the locals in Graffenwehr what the US army used to do around there? You need to try a Thuringen bratwurst and I would like to see your reaction to saurbraten!!!! Thanks!!!!!
"Our first concentration camp experience" - you got me worried there for a second.
Yeah we should have added memorial in there.
The Museumscafe beside the site was the SS casino. Strange feeling when you go inside it.
Thank you for this video.
If you want to learn more about that time I would recommend taking the time and visiting Ausschwitz- Birkenau near Krakau in Poland. It sadly was one of the biggest camps(I think THE biggest) where a lot of buildings still are in place. We've been there in 10 th Grade after learning a lot about that time in history lessons. And even if it wasnt a welcoming place, I wouldnt want to miss the memorie. You really get a feel for the dimensions of calculative murder that happend there. So impressive in a bad way. They offer guided tours in many languages
We hope to visit there while we are living in Germany. I’m sure it will be very emotional, but we agree that it is important to go.
Well, I think it's great that they kept all of that in order to never forget. We learn about it in school and there are a lot of documentaries on TV (f.e. on ZDF History). Most of the people nowerdays are not responsible for what happened im the 30s and 40s but we have to make sure that a horror like this will never ever happen again.
Many years back I went to visit Buchenwald in Weimar, which was one of the better known camps. It was tough aswell to be there, oppressive giving you a real heavy heart to think about what happened there to people. To see the alleged doctor's practice where people were told to stand back on a wall to be measured for height - to be shot through a small hole into the neck from a back room or the basement where they hung people and if people weren't quite dead, guards had the order to add their own weight to the victims. I came out of the basement crying like mad and then the crematorium where the ovens are - there still seemed to be a sweetly smell remaining (probably from burning flesh). I will never ever forget that. Horrible, how humans can treat other humans like that. I still have hope that we may learn from mistakes made in the past to create a better future for all without racism (but unfortunately some people nowadays show clearly that they have learned nothing and that is very sad!)
Wow they are hard to even read. We still have hope for a better world too!
Yes.....never let 'history' repeat itself. Devastating!! Yet our global situation, momentarily, is tiptoeing towards an inbalance in our Infrastrukturen of our social and mental lives. Atrocities are often just a stone throw away......! Right?! We need to stand up for what we believe in. Most importantly for our children❤️💋🙏
yep it's part of our history, it happened and we have to face it and deal with it. At least that's how i was brought up in the 70's and 80's. In history class we covered the era from 1933 to 1945 for roughly a year extensively. Maybe better said 1919 - 1949 with the focus on 33 to 45, including watching documentaries which was pretty modern in the 70's. It might have been different in the 50's and 60's, but from the late 60's onwards there was change of perspective which culminated in the famous speech of the former Bundespräsident Richard von Weizäcker on may 8th 1985 when for the first time a (west) german political leader said that may 8th was a day of liberation and not (just) defeat. But it took 40 years to see it that way publically, politically. Most Germans who experienced the war as adults considered the end of the war as defeat, Stunde 0, shame of loosing etc. Stunde 0 might still be appropriate because nothing was like before. Both my parents experienced war, my mum as a child, refugee from Pomerania and my dad even became a soldier at the age of 17 and spent 4 years in Sowjet prison camp until 1949. So both knew what war meant and taught us about war and and did their share of by teaching us being open minded and one thing was - there were several options with shools to choose from - to send us on a college Gymnasium that was well known for having 70% pupils from all over the world. They wanted us to be exposed to different cultures, relgions, languages... back then i did not think about it too much, but much later in life i realised how carefully they were pushing us in a certain direction in order to do their share to prevent it happening all over again...
Vielen Dank für den Vlog!
#NieWieder
I always wonder what kind of people it takes to basically go to work every day, being paid, then return home for dinner...having spent those hours, torturing and murdering people. Which still happens today! And these are my ancestors no less. If I think about my grandparents (all deceased) it's inconceivable that any of them could have done that (they didn't but the men were all drafted and most died in Russia or were captured there). But there was one relative who thankfully was killed in 1946 who was never ever spoken of in the entire family. Because he was a guard in a place like that :( I only know because my grandpa had dementia towards the end of his life and would mention his name and then cry. My mother always rushed him immediately. The shame still ran so deep even though my parents were born years after the war.
The atmosphere and the experience during such a visit is the most intense thing I have been to ( touristically ). It should be every German's duty to visit one ...still today..
Dachau may have been a better first visit since it is a lot better preserved. It's a whole different feeling
We will have to visit it.
Flossenbürg is a small KZ. There was a lot Nightmare what is happened. At 11:20 you see Pyramid of human ashes behind the Wall where People was Killed with Firearms. At 11:55 you see a Picture from a famous Pastor, who was killed in Flossenbürg only a few weeks before the War ended. In the Imprisonment he wrote an impressive text that he was never left alone by the good powers. The text gives hope in the darkest hours. The Text is unfortunately in German, but the melody alone shows how moving the text is. Here is the Link to this Text/Song: ua-cam.com/video/aN7dGz6NH5M/v-deo.html
Thank you for more info!
It may sound a bit cynical at first, but a visit to the café on the museum grounds is highly recommended.
Not only because of the great cakes offered there, but because the café places special emphasis on creating jobs for people with disabilities. In the environment of the café, people with disabilities can take responsibility and receive support where it is needed.
In a way, the message behind this can be seen as the implementation of the motto "Never again". Nazi Germany regarded people with disabilities as "unworthy of life" and committed heinous crimes against them. And today, the historically prejudiced site, which can be seen as the epitome of the inhuman Nazi ideology, is used to do good: By giving people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in our society and supporting them in doing so.
Thank you for sharing this with us! We had no idea that they did this. Next time we will definitely support the cafe! ❤️
"Nie wieder!"
We shall never forget, us Germans!
I highly recommend the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg. Nuremberg is one of the epicenters during the Nazi time. There are the remains of one of the Mega buildings Hitler wanted to build. Today there is the Doc. Center there. With all that history already inside these walls, this center was one of the most intense when it comes to this time in our history.
Timo- thank you so much for your recommendation! We will be traveling to Nuremberg soon so it is good to know about the history.
I recommend the concentration camp in Sachsenhausen in the north of Berlin. I've been the two times and find it fabulous. Of cause l mean it in terms of education and presentation - not what happened back then. Even after the second time I am stunned how cruel it was. And I mean I've been educated that history over several years in school over and over again. My first visit was a school trip in 9th grade to Berlin. It also included the museum "Story of Berlin" and its air-raid shelter with a raid simulation.
Thank you for the recommendation! The museum also sounds very interesting.
Tanner says that we learned a lot in the US but I would not say so. I live near a small KZ site in Hannover where women were put to work in the continental factory. But if you really want a tough pill to swallow, Bergen-Belsen is a place everyone should visit. It's not as nice as Flossenbürg looks. Middle of the forest, no beautiful scenery but mounds of mass graves. Coming from the US its greatly different to be standing in these locations and feel the energy compared to reading something in a school book. I also suggest when you see the Stolpersteine in the cities to take a moment and think about how that person(s) were taken from their homes. It is really scary to think that some parts of the world are so close to actions like that again. It sickens me when I see the political divide in the US and then stop to look at a Stolpersteine placed for a political opponent who died for challenging the Nazis. We are so close to that happening again.
Everyone should learn and experience these places.
Thanks for your comment Eric der Ami. Of course, there are many people (including myself) that should have learned more about these events growing up. I was mainly stating that from my full school year of advanced History classes, there was a greater emphasis on WWII, the concentration camps, war crimes, etc. than compared to other basic history classes that were available to me.
Thanks for the tips to visit Bergen-Belsen. I can't imagine the horror and threat those experienced. Let alone to think about the divide that is alive and thriving in the US, and the rest of the world. It's sickening to think about how humanity has declined to such low morals and support for such divide. That's where we can all try to be kind, supportive of good causes and be open to different ideas, cultures, etc. I'm far from perfect, but still trying every day.
Wishing you the best.
It speaks volumes that you as Americans have learned as much about WWII being on the winning side and being the "good guys" as Germans have learned about WWII (probably more) as the losers and the villains. Would the US put the same effort in telling the story if the roles were reversed? If you think about how other parts of not so glorious (US) history are taught in American schools, you probably know the answer to that.
Totally agree with you RX 2904. There is not enough education taught about what early settlements and explorers did to the Native American Indians, Mexicans, and more groups. It's a fault that comes from being viewed as the "right" country when it comes to most international or domestic event. In high school I took and advanced history class where I learned the most about WWII, the Vietnam war, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm so glad I did because the basic classes didn't give the time to focus on some of those hard to hear lessons.
My father survived the camp
if you´r ever interessted_ near the town of weimar: Buchenwald! as a mate born in the (former) gdr: is it allowed? my deepest bow you took this trip!..
Das Wetter auf der Hinfahrt passt ja total zur Stimmung am Zielort. Düster und grau.
NEVER FORGET!!! :)
As a German I might be a little over sensitive, but taking any kind of pictures in a memorial to the Holocaust or even calling it "your experience" sounds kinda offensive to me. Cause you know, its not there for you, but for all the people who have suffered and died in these places. Of course you are the one who remembers, but it's still about the remembered people to me. (not only Jewish people btw, but also disabled people and those who disagreed with the nazi regime.) but as I said, I might be oversensitive.
Thanks for your insight Paul. I guess we see the memorials created for everyone to remember the lives of those who were lost, and deeply affected by what happened here. I don't think you are being oversensitive at all, but everyone can and should be informed and learn from this time in history and many others like it.
Yes I was going to say was this the camp that had a lot of polish just because they where considered by nazis as a lower class
Never again… 🙏🙏🥺
caution ! As far as I know, it is forbidden to take photos there in order not to provide pilgrims to NS sympathizers.
If you really want to see and experience it go to ausschwitz in Poland
We have plans to in April.
😢
😭
Please visit also KZ Auschwitz-Birkenau and take your time to look at all of it
Dont forget: first camps of that Kind were
Invented by the Brits.
I recommend visiting Bergen-Belsen (not far from Hannover, close to where I live) where Anne Frank and her sister died and Buchenwald near the city of Weimar.
Weimar was home of Goethe and Schiller. It is one of the... let's say... most important places to visit in Germany to understand German history. You should plan more than one day to experience BOTH the beauty of the city AND the horrors of a concentration camp.
Thanks for the recommendations!
We will visit here while we live in Germany!
Auschwitz is even one step further... Maybe you should do it step by step... 🤔
I think you can now better understand why we Germans have a difficult relationship to national pride. We do not, and from my point of view we should never do, celebrating national pride like the people in the US. Where I currently live, a small town in Western Germany, you don´t see the national flag at any houses except in front of the Townhall.
I love my country for all the good things that have taken place in the about last 70 years. Germany is now a stable democracy and a great place to be. You prove it to us with all the great pictures here on your channel.
But I am not proud being a German.
From USA, I don't think you should feel personally bad for the past. It was horrendous but that isn't you! Thankfully we don't have to make life or death decisions. Americans have treated many cultures horribly, Indigenous People, Japanese, African Americans and currently Black Americans. We can only learn from the past and hopefully improve how we treat each other!
i live there
How interesting! Do you like living there? Is it weird to live next to a concentration camp memorial?
@@OurStorytoTell I like living there you have everything you need. You will get used to the memorial because you almost see it everyday. The heaviest feeling i get is at the Valley of death.
Hi guys, well, now you stepped into the dark PAST of our history and I would like to propose to visit just one or two other main concentrations camps which always should remember that such, in general a war, should never, never happen again. You both also know the change how is Germany today. Avoid getting more and more depressed about this sort of humans and be assure not all germans were the same that times. Just realize that some humans can be even more worse than an animal bestie. Well, even lot of other countries have a bad history part relating to humans and the whole world doesnt talk about that much. Dont missunderstand, its not an excuse for this time when comparing with other countries. Btw, I think you once mentioned less pride of germans which obviously is seen by not hanging out flags. Well, we do at time of soccer championships only and not other times just to avoid that the rest of the world will point out with fingers to us mainly with their thoughts behind: uups, it will start again. Please do me a favour with questioning yourself: how could this happen. A good answer you will find watching the movie The Wave. I am not sure but different versions exist. I saw the one with an experiement on a highschool in california which ended the way, that the teacher told them that the same aspirations started on other schools as well and the leader of all will talk to them in the auditorium via streaming his speech. They were shocked when Hitler talked to them. Also take into consideration and comparing with todays times to less educated, less connected via social medias, unsure people of their own future and life, when all this started. Again and least: a war should never, never happen again and dont forget those who have gone thru it who did not survived. Enjoy your family life today and in future.
Thank you for the suggestions and comment.