Weimer, Buchenwald

Incongruous — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the poet and author is buried at Weimar; Friedrich Schiller (he wrote “Ode to Joy” featured in Beethoven’s Ninth), made Weimar his permanent home; Franz Liszt, celebrated pianist and composer was appointed musical director in Weimar and lived there for years; the philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzche lived and died in Weimar. And on the hill above the city of Weimar, Germany, is the Buchenwald National Memorial, commemorating the 50,000 who died in the Nazi concentration camp located there from 1937 to 1945.

In the 1930s and early ‘40s a few men, at the head of state, turned Germany into one of the most hated nations in the world. It’s frightening to see how few men it takes. A handful of men (and millions of honorable citizens) converted Germany into a decent society during the decades since.

There most likely was a highway leading to the memorial, but sometimes we like to just head in a general direction, to see the countryside. Surprisingly we found ourselves right in the middle of a huge Soviet Army base. It was obvious we needed help, so a very friendly man with a wide smile came to our rescue. The guard, from Kiev, Ukraine, gave us instructions as best he could. He was just as frustrated as we were not to be able to communicate beyond the names of our hometowns.

As we climbed the hill, we soon found a huge memorial to the Buchenwald concentration camp. The memorial, including an enormous statue, was situated on the side of the hill, overlooking the huge valley. There were three places that were mass graves, and there were large markers depicting each of the 18 European countries whose citizens were killed here.

The problem is, when we then went a little further to visit what remains of the camp, the sign there said that people from 35 different countries were killed here. Since the large markers were erected by the Soviets, perhaps the 18 countries shown are only countries dominated by the USSR, and do not include “Western” countries. We should have checked.

The remains of this camp are not as terrifying as others we have seen, such as Auschwitz, but it’s horrifying beyond belief. It’s hard to believe the horror that occurred within a few miles of such beautiful, tranquil scenery.