Berlin Memorial Activity

Prompts:
1) What did you learn?
2) Why do you think this monument was built?
3) What did you notice about the number of laws passed in the certain years?
4) Which restrictions do you think you would have the most trouble dealing with and why?

          I learned a plethora amount of things in class about the Berlin Memorial and about some of the laws that were past in the Holocaust. Some thing that I found very interesting was that Hitler tried to destroyed all evidence of his hatred for the Jews. I never knew that, and it's interesting to me because at first all Hitler wanted was for everyone to follow his hatred for the Jews and then he just wanted to destroy evidence of ever hating them. I also learned that the restrictions were not only placed on Jewish people but also Gypsies, and homosexuals. As I was going through the laws, I realized that in the beggining of the Holocaust, the laws were taking most of their entertainment away. For example in 1933, they passed mostly laws that prohibited the Jews from joining any entertainment clubs. Also in 1939, they passed a law that prohibited the Jews from using swimming pools. Then as the time went by, I noticed that starting in 1940, the laws started to take needs and necessities for their daily lives. For example, in 1940 they passed a law that only allowed Jews to shop for food between 4-5 pm. Then in 1942, they passed laws that prohibited Jews from drinking milk or eating eggs. All these laws that were placed on the Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals were very unfair.

          I think that this monument was built to help remember people about the horrible laws that were placed on the Jews in Germany during the Holocaust. I believe that the signs and posters are to remind people about the kinds of laws that were placed on the Jews. I think it was also kind of a way to show who had all the power in Germnay in that time period. I also think that this monument was built to honor all the Jews, Gypsies, or homosexuals for the horrible laws that they had to deal with. Also this could be another way of honoring all the lives that were taken during the Holocaust due to these laws.

          I noticed that there were a huge number of laws being placed on the Jews that took away mostly all of the Jews rights. The Jews had no power due to the laws being placed on them and they had no rights at all. I also noticed that in the beggining, the laws were simple and only taking away things like entertainment or jobs and stuff like that. Then I noticed that the laws started taking away needs like food, or stuff to drink. I think they did this to lower their chance of surviving for those who weren't in any concentration camps. I also noticed that at first a lot of laws were being placed on them. Then the number of laws being placed on them started dropping. After a while like around 1939, a plethora amount of laws were being placed on them, and as the years passed more laws were getting passed.

          I think that the laws that I would have the most hard time dealing with would be getting my pet taken away or getting my privilege to swim taken away. I don't think I would ever be able to live without my pet. I really do live my dog, and if I had my dog taken away for me, I would have such a hard time dealing with it. Over the years I've gotten so attached to my dog, and that is one of the reasons why I don't think I would be able to live without him. I also would have a hard time living without ever being able to swim. Personally, I absolutely love swimming. One of the reaosns why I am always excited for the summer to come is because I will get to swim in the pools. Swimming is so much fun for me, and if I ever had that taken away, I would be devastated.