the history before me

These are pictures of remains of the Berlin wall and the Jewish synagogue.  Again, such history.  

The quote above is on a segment of the Berlin Wall.  I think it is amazing.

"It bisected a city, a country.  It seemed to be impermeable.  It did not only demand fatal victims; it wanted to break our spines as well.  It prevented us from planning a common future so we pulled it down."

Pictures of Jews who were murdered, leaves with names of Jewish victims and grave stones right outside the synagogue (which was the start of the Jewish ghetto during Hitler's rule).

My friend and I walked through these areas on a guided tour.  Our guide's family is Jewish.  Her grandparents were in this very ghetto.  One place read that when Jews were brought to Auschwitz the women, children, elderly and sick ones were sent straight to the gas chambers.  I may be mis-remembering, but I thought it was 12,000 a day. 

Last night I went to bed wondering how it must be to stand in a closed room, holding your baby in your arms with another child at your side knowing that they will die and you will die and there is nothing you can do but hold them while great evil happens to you. 

Sorry to leave this post on such a note, but it has been on my mind as I see the history before me.