October 27
Wednesday was another busy day for Class 50. We deposited our luggage with the bus driver and ate a big breakfast before a two mile adventure to walk over to the Museum of Resistance. The walk took us through Tiergarten and we passed lots of people on their bikes perhaps making their morning commutes.
We arrived at the museum and split in to two groups to learn about the people who resisted against the National Socialist persecution. This museum is located at the historic site of the attempted coup of July 20, 1944 orchestrated by a group led by German army officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. While he and his co-plotters feature prominently in history books and at commemorative events, Georg Elser often falls under the radar.
Five years before Stauffenberg’s assassination plot Elser tried to kill Hitler with a homemade bomb planted in the the Beer Hall Putsch of November 9, 1923. Every year, Hitler had come to the Bürgerbräukeller to this beer hall to make a speech. Elser, a carpenter from Germany acted alone on this attempt recognizing that Hitler was a very dangerous man. His bombing attempt failed to assassinate Hitler because Hitler left early due to fog in order to make it to his next destination. Elser is one of the many people featured in this museum because his actions could have made a huge impact on the movement against the tragic oppression the Nazis inflicted on the world. Their resistance isn’t always talked about but it is important to recognize how many people tried to take a stand against the atrocities both before and during World War II.
Following this tour we had a free hour to explore the area before a long bus ride. We said auk wiedersehen to Germany for now and headed to Poland. The first leg of the bus ride was dedicated to visiting a critical thinking question on the topic of immigration policy throughout Germany, Poland and Czech Republic. We also enjoyed a box lunch and quick pit stop at a local gas station. Some of us found new snack to try and realized that Cheetos in Poland are not the same as Cheetos in the US.
We made another stop along the way to visit with farmer Tomasz Putz, in Marianowo Brodowskie. He described his experience transitioning from a communist society to becoming a successful family farmer overseeing 1500 hectares. He farms with his sons and daughters and they have Limousin cattle, rapeseed, maize, alfalfa, triticale and sugar beets. Tomasz and his daughter gave a thorough overview of the challenges they face and their love for agriculture. They joined us for a special traditional dinner of their region at BOSS in Miloslaw. Dinner consisted of beef rolls, potatoes and apple pie.
After our dinner stop we made our way back to the bus to finish the trip to our final destination – a hotel in Warsaw. This day was packed with travel and views of the Poland landscape. Tomorrow we will set out to experience the country firsthand with another day packed full of new experiences and insights.
California Agricultural Leadership Program 