Tag: camper

walking on history, V: buchenwald

buchenwald was the largest nazi concentration camp in germany: over 50,000 people died here, from all over europe. it’s a place of unspeakable horrors perched on an idyllic hilltop, in the middle of the forest. today, the area is filled with commemorative sites and this in particular is part of the jewish memorial. the sentence, translated in english, german and hebrew rises in carved stone above the gravel and reads:

“so that the generation to come might know, the children, yet to be born, that they too may rise and declare to their children.”

stark and sobering.

walking on history, IV: the sinti and roma memorial

the sinti and roma holocaust memorial on tiergarten opened only recently – despite them having been one of the largest groups of victims of the second world war. it’s a round pool, with a triangular stone which every day sinks and rises. a single fresh flower is laid on it. on the edges of the pool, the poem ‘Auschwitz’ by Santino Spinelli is displayed:

“Gaunt face
dead eyes
cold lips
quiet
a broken heart
out of breath
without words
no tears.”

on the ground around the pool, scattered stones remind the visitors of the places where sinti and roma were persecuted, while a lonely violin plays in the background…

new campers

925 days was how long my first pair of campers lasted. over two and a half years of inconspicuous comfort in all kinds of weather – and of never having to stop to tie the shoe laces!
yet with holes threatening to open on them, i knew that the end was near. so last week, we walked down to the camper store, and finally got their shiny replacements. long live the new campers! :)