The Haus of the Wannsee Conference and Gleis 17 (July 14)

Today we had the opportunity to explore several historical sights in Berlin, and were encouraged to reflect on our own thoughts and expand our knowledge. Our lengthy day began at the location of the Wannsee Conference, the very house where the “Final Solution” was planned. We trekked through the rain to the house on the outskirts of Berlin, and our learning began. 

We were given a tour of the exhibition, and provided with the history of events that took place and those who were there at the time. I found myself intrigued by this history. I was able to expand my earlier knowledge of this meeting to include exactly who was there, why they were there, and what happened. 

A particularly fascinating part for myself was when looking at a quote from Katrin Himmler, Heinrich Himmler’s great-niece:

“When I was fifteen, one of my classmates asked me in the history lesson whether I was in fact related ‘to that Himmler’. I said yes with a lump in my throat. It went so quiet in the classroom you could hear a pin drop. They were all alert and curious. But the teacher became nervous and carried on as if nothing had happened. She missed the chance to make us understand just what continues to link us, the descendants, with these ‘old stories’.” 

This quote stood out for me because I was shocked that she was so open about the matter. She encouraged others to learn of the events that occurred, so they may not happen again. She is spreading the message. Overall, this experience was very interesting. 

Exterior view of the Haus of the Wannsee Conference

The next stop in our day was a very moving and emotional sight. The Gleis 17 Memorial was where we stopped, and we were told we could walk around and explore the memorial site. As we observed, many of us began to notice specific details. We soon realized that there were numbers and words inscribed on the platforms, and that they held a significance that shocked many of us. The numbers were dates, a number of people, and the word ‘Juden’, followed by the name of a concentration camp. They represented the number of Jews that were sent to a specific concentration camp on a specific day. Shortly after we finished exploring, we gathered to reflect on what we had seen. I, myself, had been shocked at what I was witnessing, and I was somewhat saddened. This was a popular opinion among the majority of the group. I believe this memorial was vital for us to visit, as it truly helped put an image to what we have been learning in our courses. 

~ Riley C. 

​Flowers and candles at the Gleis 17 Memorial site

Inscriptions on the platform of the tracks at the Gleis 17 Memorial site