May 23, 2009- Berlin Day 3

Today we spent most of the day at the Wansee Castle. This is where they had the meeting to set up the Final Solution (AKA the mass murdering of all the Jews in Europe). While Jews were being murdered al over the place, it was never with the intention of exterminating every single Jew until after this meeting. The land was beautiful! It seemed so ironic to be walking along the lake or through the numerous paths with gorgeous landscaping on either side in a place that decided a horrible fate of so many people. Dr. Kovalcik gave us lectures before and after we went in. Inside there was information about the conference and the minutes that Adolf Eisman took. Upstairs there is a library with an enormous collection of books on the Holocaust. While it isn't really well known to tourists, a lot of scholars go there for research. After we left the castle, we wandered about Berlin some more. We went to the German History Museum and the Brandenburg Gate where they were having a festival. Then we all met up of an authentic German dinner and I had my first official German bratwurst. Now we had to grab our bags and catch the train to Krakow.