Sunday, May 26, 2013

Berlin -- my current home...



So people always ask me why I love Berlin so much, and I always say it's because of the culture and diversity that you can find here... However, sitting here in the Memorial to the Murdered Jews, I am reminded of all its history. Berlin is not just culture, good food, grafitte (spray painted walls) and music. Berlin is also history, and horrifying things that happened as recently as my own lifetime. 

"Es ist geschehen, folglich, kann es wieder geschehen." Primo Levi

Somehow this is also a reason that makes me love Berlin. Not because it can happen again, not because it happened, but because even though it happened, it has changed, and today, Berlin is one of the most accepting and diverse cities in the world. They make it a point to remember all the atrocities committed, in order to prevent it from happening again. They learn from their mistakes, instead of perpetuating them over and over again. 

The first time I came to Berlin, I was overwhelmed by all the history and horrors that happened here. It was hard to wrap my head around it. Now, almost 3 years later, it is still hard. But it's not overwhelming anymore. It is a part of Berlin, and ironically, it is a part of what makes it such and interesting and fascinating city. 

Lately there's been a lot of talk about racism, particularly against the Turkish/Muslim community. There's the whole trial going on of the woman who committed several racial crimes against the Turkish people, for more than a decade, before being caught. It's horrible! But the upside is that *she was caught* and is on trial for everything she did. It is not accepted as normal. It has no place in modern-day Germany! But unfortunately, there are still isolated cells that think that way... :( 

All we can do is hope that Primo Levi's words don't come to be proven right, and that it never, ever! happens again...