16th August: commemoration day

We left Schierke early in the morning to visit the former concentration camp Sachsenhausen.

Even if this is always a sad day it must be seen as one of the major events of the whole exchange. At this day we commemorate to the past. The Germans show that they are aware of their responsibility not to forget what happened between 1933 and 1945. The Israelis are willing to trust Germany again knowing that it will never repeat such an unbelievable crime.

So we went as every year to the scene of the crime for doing a guided tour through the former barracks. At the end we stand at the so-called “Station Z” where at least 33,000 people lost their lives. There we had an emotional ceremony. We read poems and sang songs together.

Afterwards we left the memorial to go on to our accommodation close to the Olympic Stadium. We used the evening for talking about our experiences.