A Berlin Wall Visit To Mr. Kappen

A Berlin Wall Visit

In Berlin, a church still stands, half constructed. This church, left standing after an attack during World War Two, represents the will of the Germans to remember history so as not to repeat it. In 1994, Matt Kappen visited this site in conjunction with a visit to the Berlin Wall. He was willing to share his first person account of the visit. Matt Kappen was 17 years old when he visited the Berlin Wall as a high school German student in 1994. He is willing to share his remarkable story about this experience. While many know the story of the Berlin wall, this is an incredible first person account of a visit to the site. Construction on the wall began in 1961; it stood until 1989. Mr. Kappen visited in 1994, five years

Kappen learned about many important historical events and lessons. Mr. Kappen believes that the most important lesson he learned is about leaving physical reminders of events in history, even ones that aren’t good, to remind everyone not to repeat history. About the symbolism of the Berlin wall, relating to this lesson, he said, “Sections of the Berlin Wall were left standing as a physical reminder of what happens when the government has absolute control (Kappen).” A major difference between the United States and Germany that Mr. Kappen mentioned relates to the memorials that stand in Germany. He said, “Memorials still stand as a physical reminder of what happened, to remind the German people to learn about and recognize mistakes from history so they are not repeated. When asked if he would recommend that others visit the Berlin Wall, Mr. Kappen said, “everyone should go see it to gain a deeper understanding of the fact that mistakes made by a person of small group of people can have a big impact on people for generations to come (Kappen).” He also mentioned that he would not make a special trip to Berlin to see the wall again, but if in Berlin would go see it. Mr. Kappen also discussed the importance of doing the right thing, not the easy thing. This lesson he also learned from his visit to this historical site. At the time of this visit, Mr. Kappen, aged 17, did not believe that he grasped the gravity of the situation and the site he was in. He suspects that if he were to visit now, it would be a much more meaningful and overall deeper experience. Mr. Kappen also visited several other historical sites that made impressions on him while he was on this