The Schengen Agreement

Today was a three part tour. The first stop was the place where the Schengen Agreement was signed. This agreement eliminated all borders between European countries, allowing free travel without a passport. The agreement was actually signed on the river, which allowed officials to be in three countries at once: Luxembourg, France, and Germany. The town itself was still very small, which made the experience that much more enjoyable.

 It really was beautiful here. Too bad it kept raining!

There were two very important monuments on the river. The first was a marker of where the agreement was signed on the river. It was impressive, but still very humble. It wasn't too overbearing or made into a tourist trap, and I really appreciated that. There seemed to be a decent amount of people visiting, and the museum came complete with a fancy bar.

The other monument was a piece of the Berlin Wall. The Schengen Agreement, even though it was signs a few years before the wall was removed, was instrumental in the removal of the Wall. It was slightly odd being surrounded by so much history. As it began to rain my group was sent back to the bus, where we prepared for our next stop of the day...

The Cemeteries of WWII

Hello! I am safe in Luxembourg! I have done so much in so little time! Last Thursday, the 25th, a group of students (including me) traveled to an American and a German cemeteries in the area. The American cemetery was where many soldiers from the Battle of the Bulge are buried, along with General Patton. The entrance of the cemetery was decorated with gold trim and looming monuments.

The whole cemetery seemed like a golf course: perfectly manicured, in beautiful condition with bright green grass. General Patton's grave stood alone, but his cross was no different from the others in the field.

As impressive as the American cemetery was, the German cemetery seemed much more...natural. More calm. There were trees and natural rock monuments, none as large as the American counterpart. Instead of each soldier having their own tombstone, each tombstone was shared by four men.

In the center of this cemetery was a mass grave. I'm not for sure why they chose to have a mass grave, whether it be German efficiency or a lack of room, but it seemed very unobtrusive, like the American cemetery. On top of the mass grave was several plaques with the names of the soldiers buried below, along with a tall cross.

As odd as it was, it seemed very peaceful at both places. To me, being able to see a piece of history like this will be something I will remember for a very long time. More posts to come!