Dave the Nomad

Munich, unlike other cities, has taken a very different approach to remembering the darker side of its past as a city of the Third Reich. There are monuments dotted around in remembrance of the Jewish community, but they are subtle, untranslated, and sometimes cryptic in meaning. They are a bit hard to find, but if you look for them you can find them. As for the city; take a free tour. I was so impressed with the free 3 hour tour, that I decided to take the city-provided Dachau tour the next day.

Dachau was the first concentration camp to be opened by the Nazis, and the only one to remain open the entire 12 years. My introduction to this camp involved walking through the same gate that every person incarcerated there passed through. On it were the infamous words: “Work will make you free;” the first of many lies made by the regime. This is not a place by which one rushes and snaps a picture; the atmosphere is a heavy blanket of remembrance and humility I have never experienced before. As I walked along the gravel path, with only the sounds of feet scuffling on gravel and a slight breeze rustling the poplar trees lining the path, I found myself struggling to fathom what had happened here.

Ignorance was upheld at all costs to make sure inmates never knew what was happening. From entering through the gate to when they took a walk along the stream (often said to be gray from the ashes) and through the woods to the “shower house”. Area residents were shot on sight if found anywhere near the camp, and as such never knew what was happening. Many inmates silently waited, hoping just to live the next ten minutes. As I looked through the museum, barracks, and crematorium I find myself realizing although I am here, although I have seen where, and walked on the same piece of earth, I will never know what they lived through. I do know it is my duty as a member of humanity to know that this happened; to resist the ignorance like that imposed by the Nazis on citizens even just miles away.

Seeing Dachau, I find it disheartening and sad to realize as much as we look backward at memorials to days of liberation over a horrid regime and nostalgic quotes by Winston Churchhill which say, “We must never forget.” we struggle to find a small amount of time to look forward to what is happening around us and remember what it is we are being asked not to forget. Everyday life can sometimes be so compulsive and engulfing we neglect our obligation as citizens, and more basely humans; to challenge questionable acts by few, and to use the speech we are allowed.

There is a place in Munich between two lions in which Hitler especially loved to give his rousing speeches to the crowds below. One with mouth open, one with mouth closed, and if Hitler had known their significance he would have had them torn down. The lion pointing towards the government offices has his mouth open, and the one with it closed towards the church. They were put there as a symbol to the Bavarians that you should never speak out against your God, and always be able to speak out against your government. Only blocks away from the lions was the start of a movement started by several University students who found out what was happening at Dachau and printed flyers and left them in public places for people to read and understand. These students were eventually caught and executed, but their fight was not lost. One flyer made it to England, and it was reproduced over and over and dropped all over Germany. This group called themselves the white rose.

“We are the white rose, we are your guilty conscience, we will not be silenced.”

I have to say, the Bavarians know how to have fun. There is nothing quite like watching thousands and thousands of people sit, stand, and meander around singing, drinking beer, and eating superfluously large pretzels. I definitely underestimated the immensity of this event. Take a large carnival, and take the big tent at the carnival, now put twelve of these tents together, and pack each one full with thousands of people drinking and singing.

2010 will be bringing around the 200th annual celebration of this wedding gift to the wife of Bavaria’s King. The Bavarians had so much fun the first year, that they recommence the 12 day celebration every year. If you are planning to come on a weekend, go early, grab a table and make some friends. If you go after noon, the lines will be out the door to get into the tents, and once you’re in you have to be “seated” to get a beer. I say “seated” because its more of a place on a bench at a table in which is yours to sit, stand on, sing, cheer, and in olden days pissed from until you get up.

As I was leaving the first night with close to no voice from singing a veritable mixture of songs, my new German friends insisted on having me ride every single roller coaster with them… Starting with Olympia, which was a 5 loop coaster in the form of the Olympic Rings. Definitely fun, but nothing compared to the world’s fastest and tallest coasters at Cedar Point back in America. Beer isn’t served after 11 pm at the latest, but you’re welcome to stay and sing, or as I did enjoy the festival outside. The next morning, I went at opening and went to as many tents as possible to scope out the scene before it was too crowded. To be honest, if you’ve been to one of them you essentially have been to all of them. I stopped and had a liter in a couple, and then went to the debaucher of tents – Hofbrau. This tent is infamously packed with foreigners and a never ending party including a standing section!

No matter your take on this event the Germans remember that this is a happy time, and they have kept it as a happy and fun event….even with the Aussies. Yes, those beer loving Aussies flock to this event with zero inhibitions and a lemming-over-the cliff like mindset. The Germans seemed happy to have us there so long as one kept some amount of decorum and respect for the whole event. To them its a social time to remember, not forget from too much alcohol. With this thought in mind, the translation for the song they play every 10 minutes says “Cheers to the feelings, cheers to the feelings, we’re experiencing right now with everyone here.”