One way to deal with the "Past"

This museum is only open two Sundays a month for 3 hours.  So this past Sunday we visited this small museum in a former above ground bunker.  So we took off right after church.  By now we know this route on the #3 streetcar quite well, but we'd never gone to the very end.  That's where Sandhofen is.  After a short walk through the residential area we found the bunker.

Is this what you thought a bunker looked like?  I expected it to be underground.  The man who runs this private museum, and who collected most of the items, told us that there were about 25 above and 25 below ground bunkers in Mannheim.  Sandhofen is part of that city.

We spent a bit more than 1.5 hours there.  It was quite unique in that this man's purpose is to show the everyday life of people during this time and of the Nazi soldiers in their various places of work in this area.  Jack and I agreed afterwards that he certainly succeeds, but it's unsettling not to see anything about the concentration camps.  When we asked, he said that he felt other museums dealt with the death camps, but that he collected other memorabilia.

It is illegal to promote anything Nazi here in Germany.  And while this museum certainly doesn't promote Nazi propaganda, it does present a lot. We were somewhat appeased by the number of quotations from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. One can also peruse books for children of varying ages that told them about the dangers and horrors of Jews.  So upsetting!

Jack appreciated the many uniforms and the various explanations.  The man told us about the young people who visit and who don't really know what life used to be like in Germany.  It turns out that  Zeppelin built his dirigibles in Mannheim around 1915.  He has very early pictures of the hangars used to built these balloons.  Those hangars were moved to France after WWI as part of war reparations.

The entire bottom floor of the bunker is memorabilia from the U.S. Army bases in the Mannheim area (1946 until they closed in 2014!).  

Today some of these same barracks are being used to house refugees.

Nowruz and Pooran

Our upstairs neighbors invited us for lunch at 12:30 today to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year.  Pooran came 30 some years ago from Iran to Germany and has been a housemate to Ruthild all that time.  She has a horrible story of being imprisoned 3 times before fleeing Iran.  She is Bahai and they are very persecuted by Muslims in Iran.

Pooran explained that there are seven dishes here which all start with the letter "S" in Persian.  They are all symbolic:
1. sprouted wheat/lentils  -  rebirth
2. apple  -  health
3. dry fruit from the lotus tree  -  love
4. garlic  -  medicine
5. sumac berries  -  sun appearing  (good conquers evil)
6. a pudding  -  Persian cooking
7. vinegar  -  age and patience

In addition to the S things, there are other traditional items:  coin (wealth), painted eggs (fertility), rose water (magical cleansing power),and a pot of hyacinth.

We enjoyed these traditional dishes.  The first was a bit of a shock for me when Pooran announced it was rice and a crusty bread topping and it was going to be divided into 4!

It was delicious basmati rice with saffron from Iran.  Very special indeed.

With it we had black rice as well as beef in walnut oil, every so tasty!

Then we had a German dessert from Ruthild, mango, raspberry, deep chocolate ice cream with date syrup from Israel and a German waffle cookie.

After lunch we retired to Pooran's room and watched videos of the Nowruz celebration in different parts of the world, but most pictures were of Iran.  It is important because it's a time to get rid of bad things and fill your heart with love and start the new year.  Jack had to leave at 3:30 but I stayed until New Year arrived at 5:14 and then another 1.5 hrs in which we watched some new videos and some we'd seen before and had tea with cookies and candies.  The box on the corner in front of me was filled with a confection made from chickpea flour and rosewater.  We liked it a lot.   We certainly felt the warmth of Iranian hospitality today!

Oma's kitchen

One evening this week we invited the congregation to hear Ivan's (not real name, man on left) story.  When we first arrived his family donated their recently deceased grandma's entire kitchen- cupboards, counters, stove, sink, washing machine.  Through a Mennonite contact at the social services it came to us.  Ivan brought it and Jack and a student at Friedenshaus, Bilal, installed it.
Ivan told us this amazing story of his grandma and we wanted the congregation to hear it and you too.

We can't serve you yummy German cookies, fruit and munchies.  You'll have to get your own cup of tea to go along with this story.

Ivan's family is from Kazakhstan.  Both his great-grandparents' families were German immigrants to Russia.  One was Mennonite, the other was Catholic.  His grandma (Oma) married a man, who was the only person in his family to become a devout Communist.  In fact, he was the director of a large Kolchoz, a collective farm.  He forbade any Christian symbols or literature in his home, so Oma grew up as a communist.

At 47 she was working summers in Sibera to be closer to her daughter who, because she had completed her teacher training, was randomly sent to Karaganda.  Oma actually did the housekeeping on a ship that her son-in-law captained.  While in the city she discovered one day that women's shoes were for sale - quite a rare occasion in the USSR.  In those days people waited all day in long lines.  Often they didn't even know what they were queuing up for.  Everything was so scarce.  When she finally got to the salesperson, she discovered the only pair of shoes left was a 42 (size 10), four sizes too big!  She quickly decided to buy them anyway, thinking she could always re-sell them back in Kazakhstan.

No one in her circle of family or friends had that shoe size.  So they sat in her closet.  One day she was at a bus stop back in Kazakhstan, when she saw a woman with large feet.  She asked her what her shoe size was.  Sure enough, size 42!  The woman immediately agreed to come to her house the next day and buy the shoes.  She not only brought the necessary money, but also a Bible.  She read a bit to her and invited her to come to church the next Sunday.

On Sunday she picked Oma up.  When Oma heard the sermon she got very angry.  She couldn't believe that this woman had told the pastor all about her, her life, her struggles.  How could he possibly know all this pertinent info?  The woman was puzzled and assured her that she hadn't told the pastor anything. 

The next Sunday she didn't hear anything of the sermon, but was entranced by the verse on the wall, John 3:16.  Again, she felt personally addressed.  The next week she spoke with the pastor and he assured her that God was speaking to her.  She decided to believe and become a Christian.  At that time in Russia, Baptists and Mennonites and other protestants all worshiped together, and tried to stay under the communist radar.

She had to wait over two summers to be baptized because she could only be immersed in the summer and she'd always be gone in Siberia.  As it was, the river wasn't frozen yet one September and she was baptized.

There is so much else, many historical details, and other amazing ways in which God reached into this family, but a blog isn't the place.  I just wanted to share this story, which Ivan told from his heart.

What is Friedenshaus (Peace House) ?

Greg Rabus launched Friedenshaus (FH) in early 2016.  Its goal is to create and foster relationships and a culture of peace in our LU neighborhood through our German classes, weekly sewing group, homework assistance, outings, potlucks and many other more informal interactions.  The FH website (click on English at the top) says: "The programs of FH take place in the LU Mennonite Church. The FH is a project of the regional Mennonite conference of the Rhineland-Palatinate.  We are also supported by Mennonite churches in Canada. "     

In the picture above Greg is addresses the crowd of about 45-50 persons at our recent potluck.

You have already read about the many languages represented in our student body.  We also have new persons showing up every week.  Some drop out because the long awaited official language course has found a spot for them.  Depending on their schedule some continue with us on a limited basis.

This is the women's side of my class.  Greg happened to have Ian along and posed behind them.  Children are a wonderful icebreaker and provide an instant inter-cultural connection!

Jack's childcare is invaluable to the mothers who attend our classes.  We always have one advanced class and one beginner in the upstairs room and the basement fellowship hall.  

   

Greg and Jennifer will be leaving Germany in June and a replacement for Greg needs to be found in order for FH to continue.  Above you have a glimpse of homework help every Monday evening.  I think this could be vastly expanded.  FH could branch out to other initiatives with more volunteers.  Above is Hanna, a university student who helps with my advanced discussion class every Wedneday afternoon.  It's wonderful that we have regular volunteers also from the LU Mennonite Church!

A participant baked an Arabic cake for Greg and us.  Every morning and afternoon we have a coffee / tea break.  We sometimes provide bought cookies and sometimes participants bring homemade baked goods from their culture.  

Jack is the person in charge of coffee time and he does a great job of having the drinks ready, even with kids hanging on his pant legs, and then interacting with the adults.

Mondays women make comforters downstairs, while children get homework help upstairs (and Jack and others from the LU church work on making the new youth room in the basement).  In picture above some girls came down to help connect fabric squares.

Sometimes women who are our students come to the sewing and sometimes family members show up.  The LU Mennonite women learned how to make comforters (American style for MCC distribution to refugees) with the encouragement of Jennifer and Marla Langelotz, a previous volunteer.  They are presently working on their 15th comforter!  

Our daughter asked us to explain the  FH and its work.  I hope this has been helpful.  Please let us know other questions.

Abraham trophy

Jeremiah:  Day and night I cry for the martyrs of my people

"Sadly we remember all Jewish people who were innocently persecuted, humiliated and murdered in the years 1933-45 by the Nazis."

We attended a program of the Society for Christian-Jewish cooperation.  This organization was founded 4 years after the end of WWII.  And since 2001 they have given a "Abraham trophy" to one school in Mannheim and one school across the river in Ludwigshafen (LU) every year.  See below between the picture frames.

Each school promises to focus on promoting understanding between people of different religions.  They do this in many classes, outings, programs etc  for one year and then pass it on (done today to the 33rd and 34th schools).

Over 400 persons attended the program in the Jewish fellowship hall - speeches, theatrical presentations, slide show, pantomime, RAP music with their own words, all very authentic and meaningful.

In the hallway before the program we had time to admire the artwork of some of the students.

On stage and here on the poster one can recognize how many students from other nationalities are now part of the German classes and participating in this exercise.  It was quite moving to hear refugee and immigrant children in skits on respect, prejudice, fears, assistance, loneliness, and inclusion. The theme for this year's school is "Overcoming Fear and Building Bridges".

One of the adult speakers pointed out that it has always been a danger to fail to recognize a person as an individual and just consign him/her to a "group".  Then he added that nowadays in Germany this is more real and more challenging to now put into practice, than for a long time previously.  (Tolerance is something that German school teach as zealously as American school teach against smoking.)

I'm glad we attended.  It was fun to talk with these students afterwards and hear about how they prepared for the program.  On a lighter note, I thoroughly enjoyed being a spectator rather than a teacher on the spot with the responsibility for the many excited students.

International Potluck

It was like a regular potluck except that it took place on Saturday from 1 - 5 p.m. !

And the foods were culturally authentic and even though it might look like regular cake or cupcakes, it all tasted exotic and delicious!

Usually these movable walls form one side of my classroom and the sanctuary is on the other side.  However, our students helped us move the heavy over 100 year old benches and set up three rows of tables.

There was lively conversation everywhere!

I was particularly impressed with how much effort the German LU church members put into engaging with our students.  I know the students and their family members really appreciated this interaction.

Here is our building neighbor talking with a new student, who is putting Greg and Jenny's little Ian to sleep.  Not only inter-cultural, but very inter-generational as well!

Children were everywhere.  This 3rd grader came up to me and said in perfect German, "This is the best meal I've ever had!"

Couscous came about an hour late, but many of us still enjoyed it.  Jack was surprised when his
neighbor from Afghanistan commented that he'd never tasted couscous before!  Their cultures are in some respects similar and in many very different.

This woman put hours and hours of work into a beautiful rice and chicken dish.  She even sent some home with us.

This young woman brought flowers in addition to couscous.

There was plenty of help.  I failed to take a picture of all the young girls who took care of all the dishes (all china!).  Above the men are removing tables and setting up the heavy benches.  Everyone agreed it had been a wonderful time together!