When we went to the new prison museum I had a somewhat clear image of what we might see in my head. We would see some parts of the prison that had been kept to get an idea otherwise we would see a room set up with photos and pieces of the prison to showcase the history. I was very wrong in my idea. Instead, we were walked through the entire prison as it stood and were told stories of the people who were imprisoned there and how their treatment, or the prison itself, changed over time. We learned about how it was used during WWII and caused unwarranted pain to the prisoners. We learned about a nun who stood up for her women prisoners and would fake illnesses for them to stay out of concentration camps, saying that they were too sick to work. We learned of the nun, and even a German soldier, who helped children, and even some prisoners, escape the prison. We were shown the church they were allowed to worship in, except that they couldn't all be in the same room so they were forced into small boxes that could barely fit one person to worship. The most heartbreaking part was when we descended steps to a dark pit that was used to hold people and soldiers. These cells were awful, so small and only a small patch of light, that would let rain and cold air into the cells. We went down to the cells and as we walked by they had signs showing some of the letters left by the people held down there in their final moments. It was so heartbreaking to see their messages and feel the cool air that was constant throughout the prison.
Now even though this wasn't what I was expecting, and it turned out to be very emotional, I did appreciate learning another part of history and learning about all of the history that that prison holds. I appreciate that people are still telling the stories so we can't forget what our world was like and make you not take your life for granted.
- Haley
I thought it was very interesting how some people working inside the prison did what they could to help the prisoners, much like the nun and the soldier you listed. Since so many people were so willing to lock up the prisoners and throw away the key, it was nice to hear stories about people who wanted to help as well. As horrible as the conditions were and how they were treated on a normal basis, it was important to have a few brave souls willing to treat the prisoners like humans and not like monsters.
ReplyDelete-Emily
DeleteI feel your focus on the Nun and helpful German officer was necessary. This was a place that, though it tried to have a positive impact, during that time of WWII that prison was the exact opposite. Even though it is important to remember all the bad stuff to prevent it from happening again, the good things that happened are worth remembering as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that the church aspect was very enlightening. These people were so isolated that they weren’t even allowed to sit by people in their place of worship. Being blocked off into tiny rooms
ReplyDelete/ where they wrote on walls to have themselves be know in any sort of way was hard to see.
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