Student Report – Emily Edens

This experience is one that I will definitely never forget. I traveled to Europe  this past summer and was able to see the beauty of Paris and Florence and revel in the history of Rome. As a history major I have always been more interested in European history because there is so much of it.  Upon our arrival in Berlin, we were instantly taken into the center of the city and bombarded with monuments, architecture and history.  The Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie are two of the things that stand out to me the most (besides the Berlin Wall of course).  Poland was another experience altogether.  When you think of Poland you don’t usually think of beauty, but that is exactly what I saw. Warsaw and Krakow were breathtaking.  The history surrounding the two cities is overwhelming. My mom warned me before I left that I would have to really prepare myself for Auschwitz-Birkenau.  I knew I was going to have to have my guard up but that still can’t prepare you for standing in the gas chamber at Auschwitz where thousands of people were murdered.  It was a rough day, and even though I have studied the Holocaust for years and read about it, being there is completely different.  The city I was most excited for was Prague.  I had read of the beauty of the city and couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.  We arrived in Prague and I was instantly in love. The lights made it even more magical. From the time I was little I had always idolized Paris, but Prague is my new favorite city in Europe. It has made it through so much and is one of the only cities that wasn’t destroyed during Hitler’s reign.  To me, this embodies the spirit of the Czech people. All those that I came into contact with were very resilient. I absolutely love history, and it is an amazing experience to be able to see all of these things in one trip. I have learned so much more than I thought I would and I cannot wait to go back!

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