“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ~ George Santayana, 1905
We spent this last weekend in Berlin celebrating Mauerfall 20(the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall). During our three days there we got a chance to walk around and see this great city and its rebirth. Throughout this city, there are constant reminders of the mistakes of the past.
In the ground in the center of the Bebelplatz there is a glass window that looks down into a room full of empty book shelves. Nearby, is a plaque with a quote from an 1821 play by the poet Heinrich Heine saying roughly, “When you start by burning books, you will end by burning people”.
This is the very spot were the Nazis burned books over 100 years after Heine wrote these prophetic words. Included in the pile of burning books were some of Heine’s own works.
As you walk throughout Germany, imbedded in the sidewalks are small brass cobbles, placed there by artist Gunter Demnig, to let you know that you are in front of a house or shop from which a Jew was forcibly removed by the Nazis.
Inscribed on the plate is the individual’s name, the date they were removed, and the camp to which they were sent. This installation project has expanded beyond Germany into other countries in Europe.
In former East Berlin, along a 1/2 mile stretch of ground between the Spree River and Mühlenstraße lies the last remaining intact section of the Wall.
It has been preserved both as a reminder of what divides people and as an art gallery. This, The Eastside Gallery, is a collection of new, reproduced, and refurbished "Wall" art.
Just south of the Brandenburg Gate along Ebertstraße is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Completed in 2005 by the Jewish American architect Peter Eisenman, the site consists of 2711 concrete blocks.
As you walk into the memorial, the ground falls away and rises again, tipping from side to side. The blocks become monoliths, some towering over 15 ft. high. This is done intentionally to disorient you, to make you feel enclosed and trapped.
I believe it is important that we remember these things, not to deepen old wounds or chastise the German people for atrocities of which they are all too well aware. But as a reminder to us to be ever vigilant of the subtle beginnings of such horrors.
As Americans we should not turn a blind eye to intolerance, injustice, or bigotry, no matter how large or small. To do so makes us culpable. Passing on rumors or innuendo, regardless of how innocent or funny it might seem at the time, is unacceptable. America is a country founded on some very basic principles and rights. So, whether it be banning books, restraining speech or just simply listening to only one perspective is the beginning of a slippery slope. We all want to keep our country, our community, and our children safe. However, repressing speech, access to books, different cultures, and different points of view is NOT a form of protection, but rather a recipe for intolerance and misunderstanding and the beginning of new “Walls” being built.