Gonzaga in Berlin: Intro to Info Warfare

Guten Tag! It is a wonderful time to be in Berlin. This morning many of us were still getting acclimated to the time change. Luckily, the first event of the day was a simple introduction to our lodging area. With this came a breakfast of assorted pastries and a tour around the neighborhood.

After this, we faced the U-Bahn system for the first time, riding all the way to the Brandenburg Gate. It was here that we met up with a tour guide that took us around to a few historical sites in the heart of Berlin. The tour provided a chance to get some background information on much of what the trip will cover: Information Warfare. Among these were locations such as what remains of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and even the Führerbunker.

It came as quite a shock that the last place Hitler stepped foot in was destroyed and replaced with a parking lot. However, it was noted by our tour guide that Berlin wants to memorialize the victims rather than the oppressors in the historical atrocities of the 20th Century.

To end the day, our group made their way over to Museum Island to get our passes for all sorts of different museums that will be available to check out during our time in Berlin. Though no exhibits were visited, it was great to spend more time using the U-Bahn and interacting with people who may or may not speak the same language we do. Further, the language barrier is not as large as I had thought!