Even as I’m writing this blog post, I still cannot believe we arrived in Germany less than 24 hours ago. After we safely landed in Munich and retrieved our luggage from the baggage claim, we greeted Leanne, our tour guide, who led the group to the coach bus. We then took a 1–2 hour bus ride to Nuremberg to explore the medieval city. One aspect of our mini tour of Nuremberg that I cherished was the World War II Art Bunker, which was led by the local tour guide, Tom. As you entered the bunker, the quotes and propaganda before the war from the Nazis on the bitter brick walls told stories of deceit and artifice. For example, a 1933 quote from Dr. Joseph Goebbels, the chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, came to my attention: “I am of the firm conviction that peace must be maintained in Europe… If a war were to break out, it would be the greatest misfortune for the world. The Reich government will therefore seek to preserve peace at all costs.” Here, the dramatic irony lies in the fact that the Nazis were actively, but secretly, rebuilding their forces in preparation for a war at the time of his statement. I believe it’s interesting, entrancing even, that the Nazis used peace as a weapon; they used pacifistic language not only to persuade, but to disarm countries until they were strong enough to use force to fulfill their goals. After the bunker tour, we were allotted some free time to explore Nuremberg before dinner. While some used that time to gaze at the Pegnitz River or explore some of the local cuisine Nuremberg had to offer, my friends and I zipped through the city as the sun set.
