When listening to the essay pitches from all the participants, one participant, Krista presented her idea to explore the history of Jewish life and the Shoa from her perspective as someone who had no prior personal connection to the topic.
Standing in the exact same place where years ago the Massacre of Klooga took place got me thinking about her idea. How does this affect me? And how does that make me feel, from a very personal (and also German) perspective? But also: Do people experience these situations differently?
Being there and also listening to really graphic descriptions passed down by survivors, while looking at pictures taken by the Soviet Army after their arrival, was all really intense. I felt emotions of guilt, dejection and grief. After speaking with other participants it became clear that we were all sharing these feelings.
Later we went to Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom which includes personal stories from survivors and people who lived through Soviet occupation in Estonia.
Connecting these stories and narratives to real people with names, seeing remains of their personal belongings and reflecting on individual lives really makes history feel more tangible and emotionally engaging.
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