Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin
As you could tell from my previous blog, I’m not big into New Year’s resolutions, but this year I do have a few goals. I want to stretch my writing, try some new genres and tell some new stories. Mostly, I want to take a stab at writing something I have wanted to do for a while now…
I have always been interested in World War II— I enjoyed learning about it in school, and it was only an interest until I studied abroad in Europe. During this experience everything came to life. After seeing bunkers in England, bullet holes in Berlin, Nazi uniforms and guns in a Brussels museum and hearing a first hand account of a soldier shot in a resident’s yard in the Netherlands, this devastating portion of history became less textbook and took on a whole new, eerie life.
It’s not the evil that intrigues me, but the bravery, courage and hope sustained by people around the world, especially those who experienced the horrors first hand. These stories, the realities of those who experienced them, bring perspective to our present-day struggles and provide a sense of hope in our own current battles. Understanding the sacrifice helps us appreciate those who persevered and faced some of the world’s greatest evils, allowing us to enjoy the freedom we have today. And understanding the past and the bravery portrayed helps us see how history is changed by bold actions and honorable intentions.
I have read several books and watched (what seems like) every movie available that sheds light on a different perspective, and with the 70th anniversary of D-Day coming up this June, I am realizing the opportunity to tell untold stories is fading quickly.
If you know anyone who has a story to be told, an account they want in writing for generations to come (even if they only ever want their family to receive it), please contact me. It can be a short story, a single action or an experience from one day. It doesn’t have to be a heroic event, and could be one person’s perception of what was taking place. It could be an account from a soldier, a normal citizen or someone who faced the atrocities of a concentration camp. It could even be a second hand story already passed down. I want to hear all stories.
Please pass this long to anyone you may know, and email me at Chelsey.Nugteren@gmail.com
If you enjoy learning about this portion of history, here are two of my favorite WWII accounts:
Things We Couldn’t Say, by: Diet Eman & James Schaap
Bonhoeffer, by: Eric Metaxas
Berlin Holocaust Memorial
