(...)
We soon found ourselves heading to the Nazi Documentation Centre, having walked via the Cathedral where the morning chalk artists were still finishing their floor paintings, some of which rather impressive.
We ended up not being able to follow the map as accurately as we should have and it took us longer to reach the building where so many were kept by Gestapo for interrogation and torture, with many having been murdered in its courtyard.
Having been the headquarters of the secret Police from 1935 to 1945 its walls still bear witness of part of what went on inside its premises. Around 1,800 inscriptions and drawings survived in the cellblocks in the cellar, which we strolled on in deep silence. Some of the things we read made us uncomfortable, disgusted and above all sad. The whole visit to the cellar, where the former cells and the courtyard are, disturbed us immensely. There was a particular photo I couldn't take my eyes away from ... a group of young men about to be hanged standing straight as if unafraid of being murdered for the cause they must have fought for.
We may not be able to rewrite history but we do have an obligation to remember some of its darkest moments, so they may not be repeated.
We walked out of the Documentation Centre as it was about to close and made our way into the city centre, stopping for a while close to the 1805 DuMont fountain especially designed as a reference to the Publishing house bearing its name. Some of the carved figures were quite impressive.
By the time we got to the hotel we finally realised we hadn't had a chance to relax since early morning, so we decided it was time to do so and have a quiet dinner at the Hotel restaurant, which turned out to be very good (particularly the desserts).
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