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Holocaust Concentration Camps: 7 Somber, Preserved Sites

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Holocaust Concentration Camps - 7 Somber Preserved Sites

By Alexander Voronzow and others in his group, ordered by Mikhael Oschurkow, head of the photography unit [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

September 1, 2014 marks the 75th anniversary of the start of World War II and one of the darkest periods in human history. Upon his rise to power in February 1933, Adolf Hitler and the ruling Nazi party began building the first of the  holocaust concentration camps. The original camps housed and tortured around 45,000 political prisoners and union officials by the end of that first year. Hitler turned over control of these camps to Heinrich Himmler and the SS in 1934, instructing them to purge Germany of those people he thought were racially undesirable. In addition to the political prisoners, these groups included criminals, homosexuals, Gypsies, and Jews.

From 1933 until the end of the war in 1945, the Nazi’s would build 23 main camps.  According to the Jewish Virtual Library, the main camps would have over 900 permanent subcamps and 20,000 total camps that were used for a variety of purposes – including forced labor, prisoner transit, and extermination of prisoners. Here, millions of people were held, tortured, and murdered including over 6.25 million Jews alone. Although the Nazis attempted to cover up these atrocities by destroying the camps upon the advance of the Allied Forces, 7 of the main camps stand at least partially preserved as museums. With all that is going on in he world today, these 7 holocaust concentration camps stand both as witnesses to the vast Nazi atrocities of the 1930’s and 40’s and as sobering reminders of the horrors that can befall us when evil is left unchecked. [Read more…]

Leaving Paris for the Palace of Versailles

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Photo Credit: By Eric Pouhier (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Photo Credit: By Eric Pouhier (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

It was once the grand home of France’s kings and a very infamous queen. Today, the Palace of Versailles is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year. If you’re going to be in Paris, you should definitely plan to spend a day exploring the royal château. Not only are the gardens and buildings stunning to see in person, but the rich and colorful history of this palatial estate is certainly worth learning more about. [Read more…]

Uncovering the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

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Uncovering the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Photo Credit: By Kevin Gabbert (myself) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Ah, the Ancient Greeks….those wonderful, gnarly great-grandfathers of Western Culture. (Or is that great-great-great-great-great-grea-great-great grandfathers?) The Greeks built an enormous, complex civilization which became the basis for today’s Western art, architecture, theatre, and philosophy. While much of what they created has been lost or destroyed by zealots, the Greeks did leave behind some pretty bangin’ shiznit, including some fantastic ruins. Few of these ancient sites hold more importance than the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. [Read more…]

Majestic Welsh Castles: Cardiff Castle & Caerphilly Castle

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If you happen to be visiting the United Kingdom, it’s worth your while to stop in Wales. Known as “rebel territory” for many years by the English, it’s now a safe, friendly, and charming area with intriguing historic sites and rolling landscapes. It boasts castles that are more than 2,000 years old. If you’re short on time, it’s recommended to concentrate your time in Cardiff, the capital. Cardiff, Wales is a small, quaint city that has medieval architecture alongside modern sports arenas, free Wi-Fi, and well-connected public transportation. Though rainy much of the year, in spring and summer the city is awash with brightly colored flowers and lush green spaces. Bute Park, surrounded by the castle and the river Taff, is a sprawling and stunning green space that is perfect for an afternoon picnic or a leisurely stroll. A short bus ride away is St. Fagan, an outdoor history museum full of historic replicas of homes and shops.

 

Two Majest Castles of Cardiff, Wales

Photo Credit: Dina Spencer

 

Cardiff Castle

One of the city’s top attractions is Cardiff Castle, or Castell Caerdydd in Welsh. Originally built by the Romans in the year 55 A.D., the castle still stands strong and fortified in the city center after many years of upgrades and renovations. [Read more…]

Hostels – Not Just for Kids on a Gap Year

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Hostels - Not Just for Kids on a Gap Year

Photo Credit: By Let99 (http://www.hostelmanagement.com/) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

I’ll level with you here – my first hostel experience was exactly like a kid on a gap year. I had just graduated from college and two of my best friends and I managed to scrounge up enough cash to get to London for a week, but we were on a really tight budget.

We’d heard of hostels, but only in the terrifying, horror movie kind of way. Nonetheless, we started doing some more research, reexamined our budgets again and decided it was pretty much a hostel or a tent in the park. Since the latter was illegal, we hostelled it.

My first experience in a hostel was [Read more…]

Semana Santa in Southern Spain: Dos and Don’ts

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Semana Santa in Southern Spain - Dos and Don'ts

Photo Credit: By Posible2006 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Spain is a country full of colorful history, passionate people, and incredible food. Each region has its stereotypes, typical foods, and religious views. The predominant religion is Catholicism, with at least 70% of the population self-identifying as such. In many of the northern regions, religion is practically nonexistent as most people have shunned their Catholic roots, but in the south, religious traditions are still sacred. In the southern autonomous community of Andalucia, these traditions are so well-preserved that visitors from around Spain and the world descend upon the region to observe the festivities of Holy Week, known in Spanish as Semana Santa.

Semana Santa began over 500 years ago in Andalucia as a way for common people to understand the Passion of the Christ. To showcase the story, massive wooden floats are created – a labor that starts early in the year – with statues depicting Christ, Mary, and a number of saints. The heavy floats are carried by 25 to 50 men through the streets in somber processions amid thousands of onlookers. The festivities begin on the Thursday evening before Easter and continue through Sunday. The best places to see the processions are the cities of Seville and Malaga. If you’re planning to join in the festivities, particularly in Seville, there are a few things you should keep in mind. [Read more…]

The Cologne Cathedral – Not Just For Pilgrims

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The Cologne Cathedral - Not Just for Pilgrims

By Jiuguang Wang (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Do you love old buildings? How about uber old buildings with some great history to them? Not quite enough to pique your interest? What if I told you that this building has a very spiritual element to it? Would a grand cathedral housing major works of art interest you? Whether you are a prayerful history buff, a fine art lover, or just a person who enjoys seeing some choice architecture, the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany will not disappoint. [Read more…]