For the weekend of October 9th, our class headed south to Leipzig for a fieldtrip. October 9th marks the 20 year anniversary of the Monday Demonstrations in Leipzig which eventually snowballed into people’s demands for democratic reform throughout the GDR. Highlights of the trip included visiting the St. Nicolai Church, where the Peace Prayers and Monday Demonstrations originated, and the St. Thomas Church, where J.S. Bach composed and performed his music for 27 years. Both of these churches hold important historical significance. However, I was more impressed by the largest monument in all of Europe, the Völkerschlachtdenkmal or Monument to the Battle of Nations, which I visited on October 10th with several classmates during our free time. Originally the monument was built to on the 100th anniversary of the battle to commemorate Napoleon’s defeat and the end of his campaign in Europe. However, my interest in the monument stems not from its original purpose, but from its use as a symbol in the decades since its construction. The evolution of the Völkerschlachtdenkmal’s symbolism parallels the evolution of the German people and its government, as each regime in power used the implemented the monument in its own propaganda and rhetoric. The Völkerschlachtdenkmal was a favorite location of Hitler’s when he made speeches in Leipzig, as well as a symbol of Russo-German unity for the GDR. Today its original status as a symbol of German unity would seem appropriate once more, though this monument will forever remind us of the legacy of nationalism which prevailed in Germany for centuries.

Above is a picture of myself and a few classmates in front of the Völkerschlachtdenkmal