After yesterday's intense day at Mauthausen, it was necessary to discuss in lecture what we thought about it. One thing that was brought up (which I have not mentioned here) was the presence of rascist and neo-Nazi graffiti that had been scribbled on the walls of the main shower room. (I recall peering at one phrase written, and then automatically turning away in utter disgust.) We debated how one could best prevent such graffiti from appearing again. Many of us didn't think that the interiors of the buildings should be shut away from visitors, however. One possible solution (which I have written down in my notes) was to have people monitoring the rooms, like guards at a museum. (If Ruth Klüger reads what I just wrote, she will completely disapprove of me for using the m-word.)
We were apparently the last class to be allowed to enter the innermost parts of the buildings, including the gas chamber. Supposedly those sections are being closed off to the public very soon. This we decided was not beneficial, for it seemed to us that there's a certain feeling and sense that you get when you're actually standing in a certain place as opposed to viewing it from afar, like in a book. You can't get the same sense of despair and sadistic humor put forward by the Nazis. It is because of this that most of us disagree with Ruth Klüger's belief that concentration camps should not become memorials and not be open to the public. People do need to see these.
One thing I mentioned aloud was how a Holocaust-denier could possibly deny that it happened if he or she was confronted with one of these camps. I think these camps should be preserved somewhat just so that they don't fade away with history like a medieval ruin. I don't think something like this should ever be forgotten, and I really don't think that anyone would just build such a horrific place for any other reason than to kill - they're already damaged in the head anyways.
The German word of the day is "Kino," meaning "movies."
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