04.03.2020 Exploring the history and culture of the region Schwalm

Students visited a Memorial and a Museum on January 24th

Schwalm – a quaint region not far from Marburg with an interesting and quite exceptional history. This was the occasion for a group of students from various fields of study and different nationalities to explore the history and culture of the region during a day trip. The trip was organized by the Erasmus-Coordination of the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy and was funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.

Museum and Memorial Trutzhain

We started at the Memorial and Museum Trutzhain, a former Prisoner of War camp, situated there between 1939 and 1945 . A guided tour exemplified the horrifying Nazi expansion and racist policies through local history. We learned how Prisoners of War from all over Europe were often treated against international law and about their abuse for forced labour within the region. Part of the guided tour were also the barracks and a cemetery, where Soviet, Serbian and Italian Prisoners of War had been buried anonymously. Besides, the students had the chance to hear about the educational activities of the memorial site and discussed the importance of remembering

Museum der Schwalm

On our second stop we had a contrasting but equally interesting program. We visited the Museum der Schwalm in Ziegenhain. A fascinating museum with a lot of exhibits which document life and work in the region until 1900. Most of us were astonished by the colorful ethnic dresses, the famous white work embroidery and handicrafts. Some international students even discovered similarities in traditions and dresses with their home region.

During the excursion we gained an interesting and diverse impression of the region. Of course, there is still much more to explore in the Schwalm, therefore many of the students are motivated to visit again.