Kristallnacht, also known as “The Night of Broken Glass” began November 9, 1938 in Germany. On that night, Germans began attacking Jews in full force.
Over the course of two days, synagogues were burned, and Jewish businesses, cemeteries, hospitals and schools were ransacked and destroyed. Jewish homes were also trashed and looted and many Jews were killed.
The morning after these pogroms, the round-up started. Thousands of Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.
This day would have slipped past me if I hadn’t been listening to the radio last night when a local radio personality mentioned it.
As a commemoration of this horrible time in human history, here are seven places I’ve visited that have left me feeling somber and reflective. Each are places I think should be on a list of must sees. Feel free to add your own based on where you have been.
Anne Frank’s house and museum in Amsterdam. Although the rooms are bare, when you see the stairs that were once hidden behind the bookcase that lead to the attic where Anne lived with her family, you can get the feeling of hope and desperation that the Franks must have felt when they went into hiding. Anne’s diary is also on display.
Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. Sometimes small countries can foil a bully. This museum offers a look at how the Danes would not bow down to German might. During their struggle against the Germans, many Jews were helped to safety in Sweden.
Josefov, the Jewish Quarter in Prague, Czech Republic. Still well-preserved, you can see six synagogues and the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe.
Monument to the Heroes in the Warsaw Ghetto, Warsaw, Poland- This monument is located in what was once the heart of the Warsaw Ghetto where Jews were forced to live. It symbolizes their enormous resistance movement.
Auschwitz concentration camp outside of Krakow, Poland–Now a World Heritage site, this camp is a well-preserved documentation of how dastardly humanity can be. The grounds are lovely which adds to its horror.
Dachau outside of Munich, Germany- This was the first concentration camp and served as a model for the others. There is a memorial here written in several languages that says, “Never again.”
The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California. Although the Holocaust is a substantial part of this museum, the purpose of the exhibits is to teach and promote tolerance among all people.
Shin Soo-Jin, 39, and Hong Soo-In, 36, recently qualified to fly the B-737 airplane for Korean Air.
Said Shin of this achievement: “I’m glad that I’ve achieved my longtime dream. Just as we did, junior female pilot-hopefuls will have to undergo tough challenges. I believe in their capabilities.”
Here at Gadling we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each — maybe you’ll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you’ll think that they’re good songs.
Got a favorite of your own? Leave it in the Comments and we’ll post it at the end of the series.
WEEK 4: “King of the Road” sung by Roger Miller
When my brother and I were young, our parents gave us Hummel figurine music boxes. His figurine was a small boy sitting on a fence with a bundle tied on a stick that rested on his shoulder. When the key was wound, the melody “King of the Road” played while the boy turned.
My figurine was a girl feeding chickens. Although, I dearly loved my music box– the girl looked like Heidi, that independent lass who lived in the Alps with her grandfather, I was drawn to my brother’s more. There it sat on his chest of drawers in a spot within reach.
Even before I knew the lyrics, the title of the song was enough. King of the Road. What could sound more grand?
The lyrics, though, said it all. Hitting the road without cares or worries–the thrill of being in control with each step towards the horizon. A life spent enjoying simple pleasures as long as a person can keep moving and make connections with folks along the way.
Never mind that I happened to be female–and at the time, one of the only known female travelers who got much press was Amelia Earhart–and we know how that turned out. I come from a line of women who have wandered.
Those women carried the aura of far away places, particularly Aunt Clarissa. It wasn’t the stories my great aunt told me of her time in Japan as an Army major after World War II that captured my interest–I don’t specifically remember any– it was the feeling I surmised that traveling gave her. The zippidy do dah.
When Roger Miller wrote King of the Road in 1965, he was telling the tale of a carefree traveler at the same time Miller was on the road seeking out his dreams as a singer-songwriter. After he sings in the video, Miller recalls that the song was inspired somewhere between Dayton, Des Moines or Chicago when he saw a road sign that said, “Trailers for Sale or Rent.”
What caught my attention about this version is Miller’s utter exuberance, both in his voice and his body, particularly when he belts out the third chorus and throws that fast crook in his elbow–and how the song stuck with me all day once I listened to it again.
When I think of my King of the Road experiences, the ones where this song played in my head, I am:
by myself on a bus heading to Maine from New Paltz, New York to work at a summer camp after my senior year in high school, the possibilities endless. This summer was late nights doing laundry so I could head out every weekend to places like Boothbay Harbor,Camden and Ogunquit, eating lobster and clams dripped in butter and skinny dipping in a lake with the moon shimmering across the water;
I’m walking down the streets of Arhus, Denmark, my arms swinging in stride with my legs as I head to the Viking ship museum, my entire body feeling in sync with the sidewalk beneath my feet and the breeze through my hair. I’d come alone–or if I was with someone, I can’t recall because the memory of being so in touch with my body on that day and the sense of adventure has eclipsed a companion;
I am walking away from my village into the Gambian bush to hang out under a tree for a few hours drinking tea, writing and listening to music, soaking up a bit of R&R from being the village Peace Corps volunteer. As cows grazed nearby and finch flitted and darted between the scrub brush, I regained balance;
and I am taking a friend of mine on a road trip through New Mexico so he can see how the landscape changes. As the hues of reds and browns change with each turn past Jemez as we get closer to Bandelier National Monument, we marvel at the wonder of us and our good fortune to have a car and all the time we need.
Whenever I hear that song, my feet start tappin’ and I want to head out–see new places, make new friends, visit old ones and know that the world is my oyster. What better feeling is there than being a king of the road?
Despite the lyrics, I’ve never smoked a pack of cigarettes in my life. I do, however, look at trailers with great affection.
Here’s a bit of King of the Road trivia: It’s been used in the movies: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Swingers, Into the Wild, Im Lauf der Zeit (In Due Time), and if you saw Brokeback Mountain, who can forget the scene where Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack, confident and full of energy, is heading in his truck to see Ennis? King of the Road was playing on the radio. Of course, that was before Jack’s hopes were dashed.
Still, the song for me is an optimistic all will work out.
Happy Halloween! This video clip of Mansfield Reformatory, a former prison in Ohio, is of a documentary that highlights the prison’s paranormal activities. It’s creepy whether you court the idea of the paranormal or not. When I was walking around the grounds a few weeks ago, it was daylight and sunny, but the massive building is an imposing sort that has a definite thrills and chills factor. It’s the perfect setting for the haunted house that continues through tomorrow night.
Although, it is possible to visit the reformatory at night when its not Halloween, even stay there overnight to search out the paranormal for yourself–or tour during the day, there are other events with a more lighthearted touch.
“Glamour in the Slammer Bridal Expo” a bridal fashion show, is held here each year. This year’s is scheduled for November 9, and it’s free. After watching the video clip, and finding out about the bridal show, it seems like a showing of Corpse Bride would be a perfect fit.
Along with being a great place to retire, I have to say, Columbus is one of the best cities to visit if you are looking for variety whether its edgy or sedate, ethnic or traditional, outdoors or indoors.
Like Tom mentioned, having a car would make a visit easier because COTA, the public transportation system has issues, but even for backpackers, Columbus would be a good few days stop on a cross-country itinerary. There are many places within walking distance of the Greyhound bus station and the main arteries of the city bus.
With the person arriving by bus in mind, if I were heading to Columbus, here are places not to miss, all near the downtown and in a walkable distance. Although, the COTA buses that go along Broad St. and High Street would save time. The interest range covers the arts, history, famous people, science and nature. With the list I’ve given, you’ll be busy.
Ohio Statehouse. Because Columbus is the state capital of Ohio, the capitol building has a prominent place downtown. There are free daily tours. The tour is an interesting way to find out about the history of the state and learn about the architecture of the times. Plus, it really is a gorgeous building. The statehouse lawn is used for concerts, art exhibits, rallies and Civil War reenactments.
Across from the Statehouse is the Verne Riffe Center where the Ohio Arts’ Council’s, Riffe Center Gallery and the Studios in the Riffe Center Theatre Complex are located. The gallery offers creative and unusual exhibits on a rotating basis and the theatre complex offers a variety of performances ranging from modern dance to children’s’ theater to experimental type plays.
Columbus Museum of Art. This museum has exhibits that change regularly. The most recent is Objects of Wonder from the Ohio State University. Of the permanent collection, artwork is consistently rotated. (Eat lunch here.)
Franklin Park Conservatory. An elegant greenhouse that adds lush greenery and vibrant color to life any time of the year. The houses around the conservatory are grand, although a couple of blocks off you’re in territory that shows what happens when people with money head for the suburbs. The gift shop is superb. Each night, the glass Palm House is illuminated by a light show installation by artist James Terrell.
King Arts Complex offers exhibits and performances that highlight African American contributions to the arts. There is an important mural called Middle Passage that was created to evoke the feeling of being on a slave ship. The mural was painted in a connecting passage between two sections of the center.
Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre and Southern Theatre, offer a theatre trifecta of historic gorgeous buildings built during the time period when ornamentation and rich fabrics were key. Between them, you can see the top notch performances. In this past year, I’ve seen The Lion King, Avenue Q, the Columbus Symphony, the Nutcracker Ballet, David Sedaris, John Prine, Ralph Stanely and the Stanely Brothers, and Promusica, among others. Each theatre and others can be accessed through CAPA,Columbus.
Topiary Garden in back of the Main Library (Columbus’s library system is number 1 in the U.S. as well.) In addition to the lovely flower beds, bushes are trimmed to represent Seraut’s painting “In the Park.” Stop in the Main Library for coffee and a cookie at the snack bar. The library is a gorgeous, stately building–one of my favorites.
James Thurber’s house. James Thurber, the humorist who penned “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” grew up in Columbus. Now his house is a museum as well as a literary center that hosts several author readings year round.
Kelton House. Another house museum. This Victorian house was inhabited by members of the same family for 125 years and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
BOMA (Bar of Modern Art) Here’s a place to finish of the evening. Originally a statuesque Methodist church, the original stained glass windows and building details have been adapted for dancing, music, art and fine food.
One place you might stay if you have some cool cash, is the Westin Great Southern Hotel. Connected to the Southern Theatre, this is where Thurber hung out in the bar.
For extensive information about other parts of Columbus and more things to do, head to Experience Columbus, the city’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Of course, there’s more to do. I haven’t even touched on places away from downtown except for Franklin Park Conservatory.
The first photo at the beginning of this post by Nutsy Fagan was taken from COSI, the science museum, another worthwhile stop. While you’re walking here, check out the replica of the Santa Maria, Columbus’s ship–Columbus the explorer–where Columbus got its name. How? Why? Not sure.
Remember, these are downtown, I didn’t cover German Village, the Short North, the Brewery District or the Arena District. Those are also close to downtown and within walking distance if you have a good pair of shoes, or hop on COTA.