Berlin-Bound and Stories of Resistance

After a long train ride, we finally arrived in Berlin, buzzing from energy drinks and too much early-morning Sprite (it's the only thing that will keep me up), ready for a little rain and a history lesson. One of our first stops was the German Resistance Memorial Center, a powerful and moving space dedicated to those who stood up against the Nazi regime.

In school, I never really learned about the Nazi regime in much detail, so being in a space like this made me feel like everyone around me knew more than I did. But honestly, that’s part of the reason I was there: to experience, to learn, and to ask questions. Besides, being a know-it-all sounds kind of boring. Luckily, today I did learn a lot. More notably, I learned that throughout history, an important group for resistance has been youth who have stood up to oppressive regimes more than any other generation. That stuck with me, as someone who takes opportunities to volunteer and protest when I disagree with something that affects me and others. Being part of this age group today, I can see how important it is to speak up and take action, especially when older generations stay silent and believe it is alright to give the responsibility to us.

First, let me give readers a little background information on this memorial site. The German Resistance Memorial Center is in the very place where meetings were once held by members of the Nazi regime. I even stood in rooms that were once meeting spaces for Adolf Hitler himself. That fact alone made me feel uneasy. There’s a phrase that always rings true: "history repeats itself". That’s exactly why memorials like this should be a key part of educational trips. I am not just being taught about history, I am feeling it.

Later, we were given an exercise: each group had to choose a specific resistance movement, read about it, and present what we found. My group and I chose the Youth Resistance Movement. What stood out was that there were different groups: Swing Kids, Edelweiss Pirates, Young Jewish Resistance, Young Christians, Socialist, and Communist youth. All of them were young people standing up to the Nazi regime in their ways.

My favorite group was the Swing Kids. I had heard about them in passing, but never in detail. They were teenagers who embraced American swing music and culture, something completely banned under Nazi rule. Just by dancing, dressing differently, and listening to music, they were making a statement. It seems small, but it was powerful yet dangerous. Many of them were arrested, sent to concentration camps, and even killed, as young as 16 or 17. That hit me because I'm that exact age. It’s easy to talk about resistance in theory, but these were actual kids, losing their lives for something as simple as freedom of expression.

For our "notable figure," we researched Marianne Cohn, a young Jewish woman who helped children escape Germany. She grew up in Berlin, fled to Switzerland, and joined a scouting organization that helped smuggle Jewish children across the border into France. Eventually, she was caught, arrested by customs officers, and murdered in 1944. Hearing her story made it feel more real because activism isn’t just an abstract idea. It has always been dangerous but undeniably worth it in the end. And people like Marianne, despite being scared, acted anyway.

Honestly, I’d been waiting the entire trip for this memorial visit, and it was worth it. Our guide said something that stayed with me-that tight-knit groups were very important because resistance circles were constantly being infiltrated. On the other hand, these groups had to stick together. Despite their differences, socialist and communist groups had to find a way to collaborate. That reminded me how much resistance depends on unity. This is prominent everywhere.

Today reminded me that young voices have always mattered, and that it's easy to feel powerless, especially as a young person. Resistance isn’t always loud or dramatic; sometimes, it’s simply changing what you wear or who you're listening to. Maybe the subtlety of this youth resistance was the most powerful kind of all.

Until tomorrow, when we dive into a dialogue about climate migration, take a tour through parts of the city, and visit the Berlin Wall, where we’ll also hear a witness talk. Another full day ahead.

Emerging from the Berlin Station