SUTTON Travels

11 November 2024

Berlin Wall Germany

The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to prevent East German citizens from fleeing to the West. The Wall included guard towers, antivehicle trenches, and a "death strip" that was heavily monitored by guards.

The Wall was officially opened on August 13, 1961, and stood for nearly 30 years. It became a powerful symbol of the Cold War and the division between East and West

The fall of the Berlin Wall began on November 9, 1989, when the East German government announced that citizens could cross the border freely. Crowds of people gathered at the Wall, and many began chipping away at it with hammers and picks. The official demolition of the Wall began soon after, and by November 30, 1990, most of the Wall had been dismantled. The last sections were removed in November 1991.

Between decorated Berlin Wall

Scenes from the wall 11 October 2024

Here's a quick trip along the Berlin wall

Schindler's List Sites Krakow Poland

This post lists some sites in Krakow Poland associated with Oskar Schindler and the film, Schindler's List.

The links take you to posts about the different sites.

Krakow Ghetto

Scenes from the Ghetto including the pharmacy

Krakow Ghetto

Oskar Schindler Factory Museum

The site of the factory and Oskar's desk

Oskar Schindler

Plaszow Concentration Camp

The remains of the camp, the commander's office, and his house

Plaszow Camp Model

RELATED POSTS

Schindler's List - About The film

A review of the film

Street Scene site from
Schindler's List

Nazi Trail of Terror

An extensive index of many sites with text and photos

Auschwitz II-Birkenau

Plaszow Concentration Camp, Poland

The Plaszow concentration camp was a Nazi concentration camp located in the southern suburb of Kraków, Poland.

The camp was established in October 1942 on the grounds of two former Jewish cemeteries.

Initially intended as a forced labor camp, it later became a concentration camp.

Most of the prisoners were Polish Jews, but it also held prisoners from other ghettos and camps. The camp was notorious for its harsh conditions, forced labor, and executions. Mass murder was carried out by shootings, as there were no gas chambers or crematoria.

The camp had two main commanders. Amon Götth was the first commandant, known for his sadistic treatment of prisoners. He was executed by hanging in September 1946. The second commandant, Arnold Büscher, took over in September 1944.

Grey House, Camp Office

Amon Götth Villa near the camp

The Plaszow concentration camp was progressively dismantled starting in the fall of 1944. The Nazis began deporting many prisoners to Auschwitz and other concentration camps, burning exhumed bodies, and destroying installations to erase evidence of the camp's existence. The final group of prisoners left on January 14, 1945, and the Red Army liberated the area on January 20, 1945. After the war, the site was further devastated by the Soviet Army and became publicly accessible, leading to continued destruction.

Today, the site of the former Plaszow concentration camp is a memorial and museum dedicated to the memory of the victims. The KL Plaszow Museum includes an open-air exhibition called "KL Plaszow. A Site After, A Site Without," which features 14 media installations with materials in Polish, English, and Hebrew. The exhibition is accessible 24 hours a day and is free of charge.

The museum also includes the Grey House, which served as the administration building of the cemetery used by the Jewish religious community in Kraków. Additionally, there is a new memorial building under construction on Kamieńskiego Street, which will host a permanent exhibition and serve as a central point for commemoration.

Schindler Connection

Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party, initially employed Jewish workers from the Kraków Ghetto in his enamelware factory. When the ghetto was liquidated in March 1943, many of these workers were sent to the Plaszow camp, which was under the command of the brutal Amon Göth.

Schindler managed to establish a subcamp of Plaszow at his factory, providing better conditions for his workers. He used his connections and bribes to protect them from deportation to extermination camps. Eventually, Schindler relocated his factory to Brněnec (Brünnlitz) in Czechoslovakia, saving around 1,200 Jews from certain death.

Related sites

Oskar Schindler Factory Krakow

Krakow Ghetto

Index to Nazi Trail of Terror in Europe

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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Berlin Germany

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

This post contains images of memorials, monuments, and buildings in Berlin, Germany

For places associated with the Nazi era, select the link below.

Nazi Trail of Terror

Reichstag Building in 2024

Rotes Rathaus, City Hall Berlin

Soviet War Memorial 2024

A cool October - by the Brandenburg Gate

Hotel Adlon Kempinski 2024

The Berlin Wall

Lunch at an Irish pub, Berlin

Our evening meal at a different pub near Alexanderplatz

We visited at the time of The Berlin Festival of Lights in October. Select the link to see those images.

Alexanderplatz and The Festival of Lights Berlin

Other Berlin sites can be found in my post about the Nazi era - see below.

Nazi Trail of Terror

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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Alexanderplatz Berlin Germany

Rotes Rathaus Berlin

Alexanderplatz is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin.

We visited during The Festival of Lights in October 2024.

The Festival of Lights in Berlin is an annual event that transforms the city into a dazzling display of light art. Held every October, the festival features spectacular illuminations, luministic projections, and 3D mapping on famous landmarks, buildings, squares, and streets across Berlin.

The festival not only showcases artistic brilliance but also celebrates Berlin's cultural rebirth and resilience. It's a magical time when the city becomes a stage for breathtaking light installations created by artists from around the world.

The TV tower at night and day

St Mary's Church - day and night

Fountain of Friendship

About the plaza

Early History: Originally known as Ochsenmarkt (Ox Market), Alexanderplatz was a cattle market outside the city fortifications.

1805: Named in honor of Tsar Alexander I of Russia, who visited Berlin on October 25, 1805.

19th Century: The square became a major commercial center with the construction of the Stadtbahn station, a market hall, and the Tietz department store.

World War II: Alexanderplatz was heavily damaged during the war but was reconstructed under Soviet influence.

Post-War Era: The square was transformed into a showcase of socialist architecture, featuring buildings like the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), the Fountain of Friendship, and Karl-Marx-Allee.

Modern Day: Alexanderplatz remains a bustling area with shops, restaurants, and attractions, making it a popular starting point for tourists exploring Berlin.

Some more nighttime images.

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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'Euthanasia' Murders Memorial in Berlin Germany

The Nazi euthanasia program, known as Aktion T4, was a campaign of mass murder targeting individuals deemed "unworthy of life" due to physical or mental disabilities. Initiated by Adolf Hitler in 1939, the program aimed to eliminate those considered a burden on society and the economy.

The program involved the systematic killing of patients in psychiatric hospitals, care homes, and other institutions across Germany and occupied territories. Physicians were authorized to select patients for "mercy deaths" based on their medical conditions. The methods used included lethal injections, gas chambers disguised as showers, and starvation.

Although officially discontinued in 1941 due to public protests, the killings continued covertly until the end of World War II in 1945. It is estimated that between 275,000 and 300,000 people were murdered under this program.

For more information about the Nazi genocide, see the additional sites at the link below.

LINK TO -->> THE NAZI TRAIL OF TERROR

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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Google Map to the Memorial

Gleis 17 Memorial Berlin Germany

The Gleis 17 Memorial in Berlin is a poignant tribute to the Jews deported from Berlin during the Holocaust. Located at the Grunewald train station, it marks the spot where 186 deportation trains departed between 1941 and 1945, transporting over 50,000 Jewish Berliners to ghettos and extermination camps like Auschwitz and Theresienstadt.

Along the tracks are plaques documenting the deportations.