WWII and it's legacy, June 11

The day started in the Danish Institute for Human Rights, with a gentlemen, who fought in the resistance in WWII. Mr. Jorgen Kieler, was a fantastic storyteller, who told personal experiences, of how he first got involved in the illegal press as a paper boy. Personally, he wanted to do more than an observer. it was fascinating how the student organisation, as a press, evolved to be a network of rescuers, and later on active saboteurs. Unfortyunately, the price he and his group paid was high, and he related to us his experiences in a hidden concentration camp near the German Harz. Shortly before he felt his end nearing, he found unbelievable rescue from the Swedish Red Cross. As one of the many lessons, Mr. Kieler passed on to us was his personal emphasis on the distinction between sabotage and terror- the former being to obstruct the productive means of the enemy and the latter being a form to infuse the public with fear.

Mr. Kieler's wonderful talk that reminded us to be inspired by the courage of people in history, was followed up by a fascinating presentation by Torben Jørgensen. Mr. Jørgensen talked to us about his study of the mentality of perpetrators as well as rescuers. He used personal examples in order to show a pattern: his portrait of a perpetrator was surprising because it didn't fit the stereotypes that we usually associate with a SS concentration guard. Willi Mentz, who worked in one of the worst death camps, Treblinka, was a simple man, who did not go out of his way to be brutal in any way. Stories like that should show us that what we consider as unimaginable evil, is actual a human act, and that we should be aware of the danger of ideology and societal pressure. One interesting pattern that Mr Jørgensen found was that there was a strong belief in authority among the perpetrators.

The rescuer on the other hand was just as thoughtinspiring: even though Karl Laabs went to great length and risks to save 300 Jews in close proximity to SS quarters, he on the same time left his family to pursue his affairs. He gave no monetary support to his first wife and children after a lover gave him another family: they were left in utter poverty in hard times of war and reconstruction. To the end of his life he refused any contacts with his first children. It was interesting to see the complexity of a person being so good and yet so cruel. Again Mr. Jørgensen mentioned that a lot of the rescuers had a strong dislike against any authority ruling their life.

Third in this busy day of thoughtful discussion was an excellent presentation of the current plight in Darfur and about what can be done to raise awareness as well as ameliorate the situation.

The day was finished with a lovely introduction by our very own beautiful and humorous Bosnian fellows to the proud country of Bosnia, and its long history --thank you Enes and Dijana ;)

-Natalie and Lea