From Albion to Chicago to Zurich to Wroclaw. We made it! After a long day, here are some of our thoughts.

Field Correspondents: Shay A. & Paige T.

Shay: This is my first international flight and I was super nervous for TSA and flying. I really didn't want anything to go wrong, but alas! When I got my boarding pass it wouldn't work at TSA, so I had to go all the way back to check-in and talk to the Swiss Airlines staff (🫣). Thank goodness for Dr. Jacobson - she led me through the airport and stayed with me until everything was figured out! Getting through TSA was fine and a breeze, thank goodness!

Paige: This was my first flight since I have been old enough to remember. I am definitely thankful for the experience, but being on a plane for that long? Miserable! For me, reality set in when we landed in Zurich: I am now a global traveller! 

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A final note from the Blog Boss (Dr. Meert, Albion History Department): Everyone did really, really well on the flights. It was a long process, but students did their best to sleep, stretch legs, and stay positive. It's an absolute privilege to be on this journey with them!

Our first day in Wroclaw, what an adventure! Read on to learn what we got up to today!

Field Correspondents: Ethan T., Althea S., & April C.

Ethan: Driving to the hotel, seeing the different style of buildings, and being able to tell when they were built (olden days, Soviet years, very olden days) was very cool. After checking in, some of us went for a really great lunch at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant not far from our hotel. Afterwards, I went for a long walk around the city's "old town" (the historic part, where we are staying). It's pretty awesome how this historic part of the city is surrounded by moats and rivers. Getting a feeling for how the old town sits and functions as part of the larger city of Wroclaw is a great experience. After getting here, the first time I knew I wasn't in Michigan was hearing and seeing the lanuage - it's so unique, and the letters fit together in ways that are very different from our American English!

Althea: The first thing that I noticed when we were explored the city was how beautiful buildings are - so colorful with old architecture. I also love how the district where we're staying is built around a central plaza where so many people gather: walking, chatting, shopping, and eating. We were lucky enough to even see an international event here, where police officers from around the world were gathered to compete in Olympics-style games! So far, the hardest part is communicating at restaurants and stores. It's inspiring me to learn more phrases, like: "Great!," "Thank you," and "Goodbye!" I am so excited to learn more about this beautiful place!

April: The first thing I noticed that was culturally different was the driving. It's a whole other level! What's amazing to me is that even with all the... freedoms... drivers seem to take on the road, no one gets mad about it. They just keep on going about their day!

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Other information from the Blog Boss: Today students had the chance to explore Wroclaw by themselves. We explored the city, walking through parks, following moats, and searching for gnomes (yes, you read that right! Gnomes!) . Everyone is adjusting well and we're excited to build our knowledge of the city and all it offers over the next four days.

Our first day at the New Jewish Cemetary, the only active Jewish cemetary in the city. Keep reading to find out more about the work we did!

Guest Correspondents: Livia F., Carly F., & Drew C.

Livia: This was my first time visiting a Jewish cemetary and also my first time cleaning one. I shoveled leaves out of the paths, pulled weeds out from the cobblestones, and swept debris away. This experience took me back to doing yardwork with my dad, except this time with new friends. It felt very meaningful working towards a shared goal with my classmates. And to be there for people who might not have gotten a chance to share their stories - to read their names and remember their history. It was physically tiring, but I loved how we boosted our morale through conversation, music, and teamwork. 

Carly: It felt very personal to immense myself here. I did a lot of weed pulling, while others had shovels and brooms. Sometimes it felt a bit insensitive taking pictures of the graves, but we are trying to upload these pictures to the Find a Grave registry so that relatives of the individuals buried here will be able to locate and maybe even visit their ancestors in this place. Every little bit helps!

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Before the Holocaust, Wroclaw (or Breslau) was the third largest Jewish community in the region. Nearly all the members of Wroclaw's Jewish community were deported during World War II to concentration camps like Auschwitz. Today, the Jewish community in this city numbers only about 350 people, a fraction of the pre-war population. As the pictures indicate, the cemetery is quite overgrown, largely because there are so few people left to maintain it. Students took their work clearing paths in the cemetery seriously, using the time to reflect not only on the lives lost during the Holocaust, but on their own relatives and the importance of remembering.

Our second day at the cemetery, where students continued recovering paths and graves overtaken by ivy. Each student took time today to walk through the cemetery and reflect on their service and the lessons they would take away.

Guest Correspondents: Mia, Grace M., and Wayne W.

Mia: The first day at the cemetery, I noticed that many of the newer graves had stones placed on them and was curious why people had placed rocks on the graves. After talking to Dr. Meert, I realized the significance behind something so small - while flowers are beautiful, they wither. Placing rocks on headstones felt more solid, more eternal. Even though some of the graves were from many, many years ago, a small rock gives a permanent sense of respect and remembrance. A simple, small stone says, "I came to see you. I am here for you. I remember you."

Grace: During lunch today, a classmate mentioned that although the graves looked the same from afar, up close they are unique. It's true - spending time in this cemetery has emphasized the human component of this place. The individuals here are not just numbers - they were people who lived and died, often in incredibly difficult circumstances. At the end of the day, we each placed a rock on a grave that we felt connected to. Place the rock will be something I will hold on to for a long time.

Wayne: When we first arrived to the cemetery on Tuesday, I was overwhelmed by the size and realization of how many souls were within the gates. Over time as we worked, I forgot where we were. At one point, I walked buy the tomb of a five year old boy. It struck me, as my own son passed at the age of six. It was a reminder of the humanity gepresented by each stone and the impact each had on the world and this communtiy. I placed my stone at the child's tomb thinking of a little boy lost and the greater sense of loss we will feel later in the trip at Auschwitz.

Guest Correspondents: Karson, Naomi, and Linda C.

Today, students took a walking tour of the Jewish history of Wroclaw. As they walked, they contemplated the physical legacy of Jewish life in this city: what remained, and what had been removed by time or force.

Naomi: With all of the history from the Holocaust, to Soviet occupation, to the ongoing antisemitism, there are so few Jews left here. Without that information, what would we know of the significant Jewish population that onced lived here before facing slaughter and deportation? We came to Wroclaw to remember this history and carry its story forward. The history of the Jewish community in this city reminds us of our failures and tragedies - the ones we still must confront in ourselves and the lives we must deeply mourn.

Karsen: If we only saw the modern, busy streets of Wroclaw today without any of the context of Jewish history that we've learned, we would be missing so much. The structures of the storefronts are the same but the many Jewish families who ran them are gone.  They did not leave willingly. Many were forced or murdered. The oldest Jewish cemetary is now a bunch of tennis courts, parking lots, and hotels: a realization that left me very upset since we spent so much time at the new cemetery. There is a story of tragedy and loss behind most o fthe buildings and locations we have seen here. That is something we shouldn't forget. We owe that to those who are gone.

Linda C: Wroclaw is a picturesque, charming city. The facades are painted in different colors and the white molding loops and curls and arches like frosting on a cake. I believe, though, that if it were not for the synagogue (still-standing), the old and new Jewish cemeteries, and the memorial monument in the center of Plac Solny, a visitor would never know that 25,000 Jews once lived in Wroclaw and had been here since the 1200s. Like Dr. Kellerman said, once you hear their story, you are a witness and you must pass it on.

Guest Correspondents: Hailey M.W., Dahalia A., and Abby M.

Our final day in Wroclaw, which we spent touring a Jewish cemetery-turned-museum and completing a scavenger hunt of the city. Read on to learn what students are reflecting on as we prepare to leave for Krawkow.

Hailey: This is our last day on Wroclaw. I think what I will remember most from this part of our trip is how happy the New Cemetery guardskeeper was to see us. He appreciated the fact that he wasn't alone and he went the extra mile to communicate and make us feel at home. I honestly am feeling pretty nervous about going to Krakow. This will be my second time visiting an emotionally vulnerable site, the first being a plantation and now Auschwitz. When I was at the plantation, I found myself heavy with my ancestors' emotions. I think in Krakow I will feel just as heavy with the emotions of helpless souls who wished for comfort and care.

Dahalia: As the days have passed, I keep thinking back to us working in the cemetary, but specifically day two. I felt as if I was still recovering from jet lag on the first day - that my mind didn't really grasp where I was and what I was doing, but during day two, seeing all the progress we have made, alongside being taken to the place where peoples' ashes are and having that time to reflect really made everything feel more real. Afterwards, As I swept alone, I found myself stopping to look at the graves more frequently - even the ones without names, just to say "everyone here will always remember you." As we head to Krakow, I will carry the same sentiment. I know there will be a lot of emotions during the next part of the trip, but I also know feeling heavy is an important part of understanding what happened. Being uncomfortable is a part of learning!

Abby: As we leave Wroclaw for Krakow, I feel nervous and even a little scared. Wroclaw had such destruction, but at least we spent time in cemeteries where the individuals buried had a place to rest in peace. We are now heading to a place of such tremendous death and despair, a place of such horror, that I feel quite a bit of dread. When I teach, I teach of resilience, but I guess I'm not sure there is room for that in the context of cattle cars, gas chambers, and death camps.

Students are spending a significant amount of time learning and exploring a very difficult history. That being said, we would like all parents and friends (especially the ones on the Greece trip!) to know that we're also having fun! Things we did during our free time in Wroclaw included...

• Gnome hunting (there are over 800 gnome statues in the city!)

• Visiting Centennial Hall

• Going to the Zoo (!)

• Seeing the Japanese Gardens

• Meeting Polish university students

• Pierogi dinner

• Paczki breakfasts

• Shopping at the mall