German Lessons.

While bored at work, I ran across this article from the AP.

"A restored waxwork of Adolf Hitler has returned to Berlin's Madame Tussauds after a demonstrator ripped off its head when it went on show two months ago, the museum said on Sunday.... The 41-year-old who beheaded Hitler had shouted "No more war!" as he tore off the head."

I’m not sure if beheading someone is really the appropriate way to get your message of “No more war” across...seems a tad, anti-peace, if you ask me.

I love anything on Germany for several reasons. My three week trip was absolutely amazing. Mostly due to being able to legally drink there, but the history and culture wasn't bad either.
One of the most memorable activities we did was work for two days at a factory. I made small parts for Mercedes cars (somewhere out there is a Benz with my fingerprints all over a switch!) The amazing thing about this factory was that its workers were all mentally or physically handicap. It was nerve-wracking at first, I'll admit. We were split up into small groups and left to go work side-by-side. Most of us didn't speak much German and we had never been in a situation like this. The factory consisted of rooms for learning, more advanced workshops, a cafeteria, and a gas chamber. Yes, a gas chamber.

The building started as a new-age psychiatric center. However, when Hitler and the Nazi's came into power, it was the perfect breeding ground. It in fact turned into a "test run" for the Nazi's, a place where they perfected their mass killing facilities.

I remember walking down the stairs, it was significantly colder and the whole mood of the group had changed. We stood in a room where our tour guide explained that the victims were given towels and soaps here, thinking that they were waiting to take a shower. We then all piled into an actual gas chamber. There was a glass window. I found it cruelly ironic. Finally, we moved to the incinerator rooms. All the equipment was destroyed but the cold stone walls with fire marks, and bits of bone in the ground left an impacting image.

The point of this post wasn't to be morbid or a downer. In fact, I found the experience incredibly uplifting. The workers were happy. The instructors were amazingly loving and kind. On the last day, some of the workers came out and took pictures with us; one even sang us a song from High School Musical. The factory had really come full circle.

I thought that the article was ridiculous at first, but the more I thought about it, it made me happy. I guess the day when people don’t get upset enough to behead a wax Hitler is when we should start to worry.