Gay/Homosexual Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

Just across from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is another Holocaust Memorial in downtown Berlin—a monument to the homosexual Holocaust victims during WWII.

In Nazi Germany, homosexuality was persecuted to a degree unprecedented in history. In 1935, the National Socialists issued an order making all male homosexuality a crime; the provisions governing homosexual behavior in Section 175 of the Criminal Code were significantly expanded and made stricter. A kiss was enough reason to prosecute. There were more than 50,000 convictions. Under Section 175, the punishment was imprisonment; in some cases, convicted offenders were castrated. Thousands of men were sent to concentration camps for being gay; many of them died there. They died of hunger, disease and abuse or were the victims of targeted killings.

In Nazi Germany, female homosexuality was not prosecuted except in Austria though lesbians were persecuted. After WWII, homosexuality would remain illegal and continue to be prosecuted in both East and West Germany with the Nazi-inherited Section 175 laws. In 1968, East Germany removed Section 175 from its books and in 1969, West Germany also did so.

The monument for homosexual Holocaust victims in Berlin was opened in 2008 by Berlin’s gay major Klaus Wowereit. The memorial features a stone slab with a small window through which a looped video of two men (and now also, two women) kissing. It’s just across the street from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin’s other Holocaust memorial.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park in Iceland

When I visited Iceland in September 2009 (read how my trip to Iceland changed my life here) I did one of the popular day trips to all the tourist sites within a short bus ride away from downtown Reykjavik. I was reminded of the Golden Circle tour when I read this post on Iceland recently: Reykjavik, Iceland: The Perfect Escape.

The Golden Circle day trip that almost every tourist to Reykjavik takes brings you to some of the best natural wonders outside the city. I remember visiting the Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir) which is where I got this shot of a vibrantly green leaf. What fascinated me so much about this national park was that it sits between two tectonic plates—those for North America and Eurasia. You’re literally standing between two continents.

The area of Þingvellir is basically a giant fissure between the tectonic plates and you can see the boundaries of the earth’s crust! I’m not much of a geology nut but I think this is pretty cool.

I can’t recommend visiting Iceland enough, and if you do, the Þingvellir National Park is truly beautiful.

Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial

Just outside Berlin is the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial. Under Nazi Germany, the concentration camp was used first as a work camp for political prisoners until eventually it was expanded and enlarged to also include facilities for mass murder. After WWII, Sachsenhausen was briefly used by the Soviets to house Nazi prisoners of war where many died.

The Soviets originally erected a monument to those that had lived and died at Sachsenhausen concentration camp at the end of the 1950s. After the reunification of Germany in 1991, additional museums and educational facilities opened at Sachsenhausen. Today, the site is a chilling memorial to the prisoners who lived and died there. An interesting fact: Sachsenhausen was one of the sites of the largest mass murder of homosexuals during Nazi Germany. This was due to its proximity to Berlin which had been a fairly liberal and open society in the 1920s.

I visited the camp in January 2012 on a guided tour, though the site is actually free and open to the public. Having a tour guide, however, is not included in the free admission so I was glad to have a knowledgeable expert on Holocaust history at my disposal. More information about the 15€ tour I went on: Insider’s Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour.

The photo above is of one of the “shadows” of the many bunks at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Most of the buildings of the camp have been destroyed or dismantled during its history, so today the museum has erected stone gardens where the buildings once stood.

More information about my visit to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial can be viewed on my travel blog: http://travelsofadam.com

Graffiti in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai has an incredible reputation about travel bloggers. I mentioned it in my travel ABCs as one of travel let-downs. I arrived in Chiang Mai after spending more than two weeks in Bangkok and Chiang Mai was just….uninspiring. Bangkok’s insane energy is so far and above Chiang Mai’s sleepy idyllic atmosphere. Each is nice in its own way, but really, Chiang Mai’s benefits aren’t much better than those you could find elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Adventurous Kate says it best: Chiang Mai is not for everyone.

But anyways, I spent an incredibly lazy week in Chiang Mai last March. Chilling at cafes and getting daily massages. I walked around a lot, and that’ where I stumbled on this graffiti in Chiang Mai.

St Mary’s Church, Neptunbrunnen

The Neptunbrunnen plaza in Berlin is one of my favorites—especially on beautiful sunny days like this one. The plaza, just south of Alexanderplatz (the main central hub of Berlin) is a great place to relax in the shadow of the TV tower. I was going to an Occupy Berlin demo when I took this shot in early January.

Closed sign at Mount Nebo in Jordan

Mount Nebo, a viewpoint and summit in Jordan, is (according to the Bible) where Moses first saw the promised land. Today it’s a popular tourist site where you can catch some truly spectacular views of the surrounding areas—Jericho, Jerusalem, the Negev desert, the Jordan Valley. To stand on Mount Nebo, where Moses once stood, and see all these historically important places…it was a nice feeling.

Unfortunately for you, I’d rather share this single photo of a silly construction sign. But there was something nice about the typography of the letters that I couldn’t resist. Look at the curve on that R? Beautiful.

It wasn’t even clear to me what this sign was trying to tell me. It didn’t seem like there was anything beyond it as we were only 15 feet from the edge of the cliff here and there was a whole separate viewing platform just to the right. Thankfully it was a bright and sunny day when I visited Mount Nebo so we were able to catch a glimpse of Jerusalem and Jericho over in the West Bank. Jerusalem isn’t far from this point and it felt nice to be so close again.

Summertime at Circular Quay, Sydney

Sydney’s Circular Quay (pronounced “key”) was one of my favorite spots while I was studying at Sydney University for a term in 2006. It’s one of the most touristic locations (with the Sydney Opera House, how could it not be?) and during the summer especially so. In the Royal Botanical Gardens (perfect for a summertime picnic) is Mrs Macquarie’s Chair which is without a doubt Sydney’s best viewpoint. From there you can get that quintessential Sydney shot which would have both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in the same frame.

While I could’ve (and did) take a hundred photos there, I often preferred sitting on the steps of the Opera House watching the tourists go by. There were always people around and it was a great spot for people-watching. And with a backdrop like this, who could resist an afternoon of sun?

Sorry if the photo is a bit blurry but my hands were cold. This is a shot of one of the many stands at the Christmas market (or Weihnachtsmarkt in German) in Schmalkalden, Germany. I was visiting this central German town on part of a chocolate & candy tour through Germany. Schmalkalden is in a kind of random part of Germany, but the small town (population is around 20,000) has an incredibly scenic downtown. Old buildings and surrounded by forested mountains on all sides.

I was in Schmalkalden visiting the Viba Nougat factory. Germans love their nougat candies and Viba has been around since 1893 selling German-style nougat and pralines. In February the company is planning to open up an entire museum & learning center solely about nougat. I had a small preview of the new complex and I have to say it looks like an impressive undertaking. But, like I said, Germans really do love their nougat candy.

Check http://travelsofadam.com later this week for more travel information about Schmalkalden, Germany. Also, if you look closely you’ll see Cybele from the very tasty Candy Blog.

Most people may not realize this because I seldom talk about it, but when I was studying in Sydney, Australia in 2006 I took a week-long vacation to New Zealand. I went with one of my best friends and we rented a car and drove around the southern island. One of my favorite places I visited in NZ was the small (and little-visited) city of Dunedin. We stayed with my friend’s family who lived in the city and they showed us around.

Dunedin was a pretty cool city, with a bit of a college-town feel. The New Zealand city has a Cadbury chocolate farm, albatross colony, mini penguins and some of the most beautiful sunsets. Because the city is near the eastern coast I’m sure they have even more beautiful sunrises, but I was never up that early. So this sunset photo will just have to do.

I’ve visited Prague twice so far in my life—in 2006 for a weekend and this past summer for about a week. Both times were a bit disappointing, but I have to admit that the city is beautiful. Especially on a clear summer day, with the red bohemian roofs.

Looking back at my photos from Prague, I can’t help but think I might like it the next time I visit….