Traveling through the Czech Republic, you realize how, for Central Europe, the 20th century was a dominated by the battle between far-left and far-right politics — communism and fascism. The communist school system drilled home the evils of fascism. Honza, my Czech friend, said, “Growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, you’d think Nazis killed more communists than Jews.”
I imagine “Adolf” was a popular name once upon a time. I asked Honza about it. He said his grandfather, born in 1905, was an Adolf. He was a soldier in the Czech army. As early as 1934 (just a year after the infamous Adolf came to power, and several years before the rest of Europe realized what was cooking), this Adolf was so disgusted by the fascist German leader that he changed his name to Bob.
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Honza’s father-in-law, on the other hand, was a Czech born in 1942 in the Sudetenland — Czech territory mostly inhabited by ethnic Germans, annexed by Hitler in 1938. To get along better in that German-ruled land, he actually changed his name to Adolf.
As we drove out of the Czech Republic, I could sense we were nearing the border — we seemed to be cheered on by yards full of tacky garden gnomes for sale and topless dance clubs. Suddenly we were showing our passports (which seems so archaic now in Europe). The woman in a crisp Austrian customs uniform greeted us with a terse, “In Austria, you must turn on the car lights at all hours.”
The border surprised us, as we were still hoping to shoot a couple more “drive-bys” for our Czech Republic TV show (that’s a shot of a car driving by a nice bit of local countryside to give the editor a transition between towns in a show). For a moment, we considered cheating — shooting a “drive-by” a few miles over the border in Austria. But it was clearly a different country. When you study the landscape, the visual contrast is night and day from the rustic Czech Republic to pristine and fertile Austria. The soil, roads, buildings, even the color of the grass is all distinctly richer in Austria.
Our first stop in Austria was the concentration camp at Mauthausen. Even after countless visits over the last decades, concentration camp visits are always powerful experiences for me and give me new things to ponder. In the basement next to a shower room where inmates were gassed, I noticed a German family deep in conversation. Standing in front of an exhibit showing a big photograph of a gas canister with its lethal pellets spilling out, the father was patiently explaining things to his wide-eyed children (ages about 9 and 11).
I never considered this parenting chore and responsibility, unique to German moms and dads: to tell your children what your parents did in the Holocaust. As what the USA has termed its “Greatest Generation” passes away, so does Germany’s counterpart.
[I realize this man’s father probably had nothing personally to do with the horrors of Hitler’s gas chambers, but a society must live with (and take responsibility for) what they allow their government to do in its name. I believe that if, for instance, some day history proves that the US was wrong to make war in Iraq that it is not the generals or President Bush who are to blame but the American people. In that sense, I don’t think an electorate can claim to be “innocent civilians.” I believe that as a tax-paying American citizen, every bullet that flies and every bomb that drops–whether right or wrong–has my name on it.]
Austria, what a wonderful country. I traveled all over and followed your recommendations. The Melk Abbey was awsome. I recall parking my rental car in a very nice spot (the only one available). There was a sign in German, but I did not understand its meaning. When I returned there was a policeman placing a ticket on my rental car. I had parked in his spot:) I never paid the ticket and still have in my pile of memories. Mark
Mark above, said, “The Melk Abbey was awsome.†The reason, Josef Munggenast my Sweetie Emmy’s ancestor was the architect.
During a discussion about travel in Austria, a tennis partner asked, “Where exactly is Melk?†I said, “West of Vienna, on the Danube.†I asked if he had seen Melk. He said, “Yes I flew my B-24 bomber 35,000 feet over Melk, on the way to bomb Vienna.â€
We have visited Austria, five years, and each time it has rained and rained. Of course if it wasn’t for all the rain, the countryside wouldn’t look nearly so nice as it will if we ever get there when it isn’t raining.
One time, in Austria, I waited and waited for the money, finally thought the ATM machine was not working and walked away. I was called back by an honest Austrian, when the money finally arrived a few moments later.
On our first visit to Vienna, Austria, Emmy said she wasn’t feeling well. I checked, then said, “Wow, you feel just great to me.â€
I visited Munthausen in June on a GAS tour. It is my understanding Munthausen was a work camp . . . working and therefore starving people to death. The rock quarry work was necessary to build the roads needed for the war. I don’t recall anything about Munthausen having gas chambers. Crematoriums yes but not gas chambers. I can’t find my RS Germany/Austria book at this time (hopefully I didn’t follow Rick’s advice and toss it after the tour). For some reason I remember the tour book stated Munthausen was a work camp. Please correct me if I have remembered incorrectly.
I just read the Mauthausen website and indeed there is a gas chamber and it was used in 1945. During the tour, I did not go into some of the buildings including the crematorium for emotional reasons. My emotional state prohibited me from seeing everyting at the camp. I needed to be by myself. I can’t imagine explaining to children that their ancestors may have been involved in the horrors of the Nazi Germany.
Don´t forget to visit the beautiful Zillertal while in TIROL and enjoy a ride on the old steam train from Jenbach to Mayerhofen. – September in TIROL…the Almabtrieb…not to be missed!!!
We visited Mauthausen and found it more emotional than Dacau. We followed your advice going to Melk, staying at the cheapest pension in Vienna. Although it reminded us of a Jame Bond movie it was the right price and a great location. We also staying at the 400+ building in Hallstat (which I believe we got from you) and the one night was just right to enjoy the atmosphere and lovely lake. You also might like to explain how to use the machine to get tickets for the bus in Salzburg to get to our B&B just outside the city (also your recommendaiton). It was a lovely small town with lots of restaurants. Bob’s Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg was great and well worth it. A month in Austria and Germany with your books tucked under our arms made our trip a great success!!
From our 1985 Travel Journal:
There’s a law in Austria (and some other countries) that big trucks cannot be on the roads on the weekend. We don’t know the exact hours but we see many of them parked, waiting to cross the border from Yugoslavia.
As we drive further into Austria, the countryside looks much, much neater than a few miles ago in Yugoslavia. What a change from Yugoslavia, the roads in Austria are wide, smooth, and in good shape, the grass and the farmer’s fields even look more beautiful. We have seen a billboard advertising McDonald’s, so we assume we are again in a civilized country. In Italy and in Yugoslavia we saw no McDonald’s.
There are few campsites in this area, so when we saw the sign for one, we turned and looked and looked and finally found a beautiful place to park our RV in the woods near a lake. There is electricity and plenty of hot water.
I have also been fortunate to travel through Austria and stay w/ a friend in Graz for many weeks. Graz is a nice and quiet town–also so beautiful in many areas. My favorite town was Innsbruck. Absolutely breath taking-beautiful mts. I hiked and stayed at a cabin w/friends–time of my life. Unforgettable. I was not able to go to Mauthausen as planned–but hopefully it will be on the agenda of the next trip. I am sure it will be educational and emotional all in one. I will definitely be returning to Austria–want to share the beauty w/my husband.
Happy Travels!
Rick is so right when he says Austria is distinctly different in landscape and upkeep then its neighboring Central European countries. My husband and I noticed exactly that when crossing the border between Austria and Slovakia. Austria is somewhat like a fairy tale land to me. The people are uncanningly friendly and everything is (even in Vienna) pristine and clean. It’s a wonderful place I can visit many times over.
Rick, I have deceased German grandfather but even though he was a Nazi party member he didn’t personally gas anyone.Most Germans didn’t either…the persons responsible were government higher ups and those who chose to obey.Yes one has to wonder if they had spoken up or took a stand what they could have done to prevent it or stop it.. but you should have said “government/county” did, not “parents”
I wish I could remember her name, but a famous movie star of 40, 50 years ago was Jewish, and wrote a wonderful autobiography. Her mother had escaped from a town in Germany in the ‘30s, and refused to revisit, as she was sure her former neighbors hated her. Finally the daughter got her mother to return, and after a couple of days with her former neighbors, she told her daughter, in earnest, “They didn’t know.â€
I have visited my wife’s cousins in Germany many times, and even though several were in the military, I believe them when they say, “We didn’t know.†One man said his worst day was the day Hitler died. But then a few months later he learned what had “really†happened, and said that was an even worst day.
Of course many knew, but after talking to dozens of Germans, most did not know. One German lady knew a couple of Jewish neighbors had disappeared, and since they never got along as neighbors, she was happy they left, but she didn’t know what happened to them.
I know a Carol Phieffer in florida…Is that you?
I for one didnt vote for our administration and hold no responsibility for the majority’s or ancestors mistakes.I believe travel like religion should be separate from politics.
Rick, the only thing wrong in your post is that history as not yet to prove that Iraq was wrong. The present has already done that.
history as not yet to prove that Iraq was wrong are you Borack?
Shar… The Holocaust was only possible through the active complicity of thousands of “Ordinary Germans”–read c]Christopher Browning’s book “Ordinary Men-Reseerve Police Battallion 101 and the Holocaust in Poland.” With this said the Holocaust also would not have happened without the voluntary help of millions of Poles, Ukrainians, Hungarians, Lithuanians, and on and on. As a member of the party, your relative is is some small way responsible, because he was an essential part of the structure of repression and tyrany: the nameless rank and file member. Any German will say that what their grandparents did does not make the present generation culpable in any way (no collective guilt), but it does give them a special onus to prevent it happening again. And the last time I checked, from 1933-1945 there were 12 attempts to assassinate Hitler and numerous underground resistance movements (among them a group of deserted Wehrmacht soldiers in the French Resistance.)
The last time I was in Europe, I felt the need to tell people that I was embarrassed by the actions of President Bush. For the most part, people just sort of smiled and nodded. But, one Italian woman I met on a train just laughed, “why is it that every American I meet hates Bush? If every American hates Bush, how did he win two elections?” I had to stop and think for a moment. “It must just be the kinds of Americans that travel in Europe,” I reasoned.
It was very interesting reading your comments Steve regarding the consideration of shooting the Czech Republic ‘drive-bys’ in Austria until noticing the distinct differences in landscape between the two countries. I chuckled to myself as an American living in Sopron, Hungary about how many times I have crossed the border, either by car or train, and have those same thoughts every time. As a native Californian I often liken it to driving on Sunset Blvd from Hollywood into Beverly Hills. All of a sudden there are grass medians and no trash along the curbs. In Austria and Germany it is called “Ordnung”. All is in ‘order’. Steve, if you haven’t before, please make a stop thru Sopron. It is called the Jewelry Box of Hungary. Just 15 minutes from Eisenstadt. Love your shows and resources. They have definitely made living in this part of Europe much more interesting. At this moment we are planning a jaunt to France, Belgium and Germany. Which is the reason I am on the site now. Cheers!
Actually, I think the parents of today are explaining to their children what their grandparents did during WWII. The generations are moving on, Rick.
Is explaining a country’s or a family’s war history a responsibility unique to Germans? Many Americans have difficulty talking about what they did/saw/paid taxes for in Vietnam, Iraq, and other wars. The Greatest Generation’s success in WWII is tempered by the sad reality of every man they killed or bomb they dropped (in addition to friends lost), as they likely do remember when they talk about it. And, without minimizing the scope and horror of the Holocaust, we acknowledge that genocide has occurred more recently in areas like Darfur, Rwanda, and Kosovo.
Crossing into Austria from Hungary gives the same moment of surprise at the transformation. BTW, there are two steam trains from Jenbach, one up the Zillerthal, and one to the pretty lake, Achensee. Unlike Rick, I loved Innsbruck, which is a good base for day trips to both places (although I also stayed at Pertisau, on the Achensee). Sorry, but I take no responsibility for the Iraq war. I didn’t vote for Bush, or my Republican senators, and I demonstrated against going into Iraq. If there’s something else I could have done, I’d like to hear it (for the next time, Iran).
If the “National Socialist Party” is far right, what does that make the U.S.? Facism and Communism both espouse big, all-powerful government. Both are far-left although one seems to favor snappy uniforms to suits. Both kill their enemies and consider anyone who disagrees an enemy. I think a better continuum would be to describe the far left as total government and the far right as total anarchy. Neither works so governments fall somewhere in between. Rick leans left and I lean right but neither of us are proponents of absolute government or absolute anarchy. Most of the discussion is about center-right to center-left. I start political discussions with two questions: “Can government solve social problems?” and “Should government solve social problems?” You don’t get to the second question unless you assume the first despite evidence to the contrary, which I think is the big failing of the left.
Before anyone gets the idea that this Bush-hatred is unanimous among Rick-fans or Europe-travelers, it’s not. I voted for President Bush, I’m proud of that, and I believe History will someday prove him right. When President Truman (a Democrat) dropped the atomic bomb on Japan (twice), some questioned the morality of that move. Clearly, history has proven Truman correct — that by dropping those bombs, he probably SAVED the lives of a few million human lives, US troops and Japanese alike. History will do the same for Bush, the Iraqi Liberation, and the War on Terror. You don’t agree — fine! God Bless America!