Field Trip...

This past Friday our program had a field trip to Berlin-Hohenschonhausen, a former Stasi prison in Berlin. Here the Stasi, the Ministry for State Security in East Berlin, imprisoned, tortured and killed those who they felt were in opposition to the GDR. The tour of the former prison was interesting but eerie to say the least. Our tour guide led us throughout multiple buildings on the site that were used as prison cells, torture rooms and interrogation rooms. This prison and the methods used within its walls were a well oiled machine. The prisoners were taken into the prison in commonly marked trucks labeled "Obst und Gemuse" (fruits and vegetables) so that outsiders didn't know a prison was there, they never saw another prisoner, they were forced to sleep on their backs with their arms crossed over their chests, they were deprived of sleep and communication with their families, and ultimately suffered from Stockholm syndrome as guards and interrogators played "good" and "bad" cop to gain their trust.
This tour was an interesting way to start the weekend but I learned a lot. Its ultimately made think of the movie "The Lives of Others" which I highly recommend.