Day 8- Dachau and Final Thoughts

Jan 11- Dachau and Last Day

As we are coming to the end of our trip, students in the class decided to go to Dachau in the morning. Instantly after getting off of the train, it was obvious that there was a sense of tension in the air because we all knew that this was a place of such a tragic event. It doesn’t really hit people until they see the concentration camp and think about the mass murder that took place. Being there, I had many questions and had to take many breaks throughout the few hours that we were there. It was a very important place to be and obviously a place for people to come to terms about the terrible things that occurred there. After seeing the museum as well as the rest of the camp, I realized that the survivors and the direct descendants of the deceased deserved the chance to create a space for all to see what happened. I truly believe they did a really good job at putting it together but also making it a space for all people to properly mourn this tragedy.

Once we got back, we had time to eat, shop, and explore any other places we didn’t see throughout the trip. We also ended the night at a German restaurant for dinner which was a great time to see everyone one last time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this experience in Munich. Getting the chance to go and study the architecture as well as the incredible history of the city was a great opportunity to learn about a new culture and seeing the improvements that are being made not just in Munich but around the world. Being a Lafayette student, I was very fortunate to come through the Lehigh program and be in such an amazing country with a good group of people. I personally believe that I learned so much from the connections I made between the history and architecture in Munich. I definitely have learned a lot from this trip and will continue to make these connections in other countries I visit.