One of the reasons I decided to study abroad in Germany was that I was intrigued by the country’s fascinating history. Living in Berlin has provided me with so many opportunities to learn about history not just through a textbook but by visiting places of historical significance in real life. Our classes often take us on field trips to the very places that we are learning about, and my favorite excursion so far has been our Contemporary Germany class’s trip to the former Stasi Prison Hohenschönhausen. While Germany was divided, the Stasi–East Germany’s state security service–used this space to contain political prisoners and a large number of people who had tried to emigrate out of East Germany. On our tour, we walked through the halls of the prison, peeking into interrogation rooms and cells that had once held prisoners. Midway through our tour, our tour guide revealed that he himself had been imprisoned by the Stasi for nearly a year in the 1980s after being arrested while trying to flee to the West, being released only after East Germany “sold” him back to the West. It really surprised me that someone who had been through something so traumatic would choose to work at a job that required them to reflect on that experience every single day. I found it inspiring that he cared so much about sharing his story and educating others about this important topic that he chose to spend so much time in a place that he once would have done anything to leave. I definitely learned a lot–more than I ever could have expected–at Hohenschönhausen, and I’m so glad that I got the chance to go.
