20.1.2013 Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Cameras, and other machines

We had a very cold start to our day today. We started off our morning at the Deutcshes Kinematek or the German Film Museum. The museum talked a lot about different actresses and movie directors. It was interesting to see not only how technology in film making changed but also how acting changed both over time and especially during the time of the war.

Front side of the Anhalter Bahnhof

Side view of the Anhalter Bahnhof

Afterwards we went to another site of deportation of Jews from Berlin. The plaque that was at the site had dates and numbers of Jews that were deported and where they were deported to along with the dates. Unlike the first deportation site we went to, Bahnhof Berlin-Grunewald, there were no deportations that were greater than 100 people. Anhalter Bahnhof suffered a lot of damage during the war but was reopened. However, the trains that ran through it were eastern trains and the station was in the west side of Berlin therefore it was closed and everything was destroyed besides the front of the station which was left as a reminder of what happened. It was very interesting walking through the doorways that Jews walked through before they were deported but it was really hard to imagine what the station looked like since there is now a soccer field there and no tracks running through the field.

Model of the Anhalter Bahnhof in the Deutsches Technikmuseum

  

 

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cattle car

Once we were done at the Anhalter Bahnhof we went to the Deutsches Technikmuseum which had a lot of trains and planes in it. We spent the most time with the trains. There was essentially a timeline of trains in the room we stayed in. It started with trains used during the beginning of train travel all the way through trains that are currently used. The most interesting thing I learned today was that the railway system is a connection to the Holocaust which was made very clear in our tour of this museum. Between the older trains and the newer trains there was a cattle car that was standing all alone in the middle of the room. They didn't do an overly elaborate job with the cattle car or displaying information about the Holocaust, but instead they made it blend in with the rest of the exhibit which was interesting to me because it shows that people are starting to warm up to the fact that it is a part of their history and it needs to be discussed.

Once we finished our scheduled tours and activities we went back to the hotel to hang out for a while and then headed to eat more German food for dinner. We all had a great time and it was a great way to end a long day on our feet.

Dinner: large meatball with a fried egg, and veggies

Apple Strudel for dessert. YUM!