This blog was written on Power of Place: 2025 European Summer Institute for Holocaust Educators – an experiential professional development for teachers where learning unfolds as they tour historical sites across Europe in order to transform their understanding of the Holocaust, WWII, antisemitism, and Jewish life today. Power of Place is planned and co-led by Humanus Network on behalf of JCRC and generously supported by the Minnesota Vikings, the Tankenoff Families Foundation, and Allianz of America Corporation.

by Brianne Wegter, History and Government teacher, Sauk Rapids Rice High School (Sauk Rapids, Minnesota) | June 25, 2025

At the beginning of our trip, Paul and Wolfgang had us write our key question on a slip of paper. This helped our group learn what we all hoped to gain from this experience, and in this way, helped us focus on what was important to the group. My question, in a nutshell, was: how can humanity evolve beyond the tendency to label and treat some groups as “other.” I wish I could take full credit for that question, but ultimately, it was inspired by Manny Gabler, a Holocaust survivor I met in February 2025. When asked how he felt about the current political policies and happenings in the world today considering his experience, he replied, “It’s like humanity has learned nothing. Humanity needs to grow up.” That really stuck with me and ended up framing my thinking as we entered this Power of Place journey. I knew that I would learn a lot about the Holocaust, but I wanted more than facts. I needed more. 

We visited Hartheim Castle on June 15th. Prior to this, I had researched a woman’s story: Margaretha Escherich, a victim of Hartheim Castle. Margaretha’s story captured me because her very human and fear-induced response to the police searching her home, running away and jumping out of a window, was interpreted as hysteria and earned her a ticket to Ansbach Sanitorium. From there, she was transferred to Hartheim Castle where she was murdered as part of Aktion T4, the Nazi Euthanasia program, along with approximately 18,000 other mentally or physically disabled people between 1940 and 1941 at Hartheim. As we walked the grounds of Hartheim Castle, I couldn’t help but carry Margaretha with me. I couldn’t help but think about myself and my loved ones who might have been labeled as “hysteric” due to fear-induced, impulsive reactions or other misunderstood actions. As we walked about 30 steps from the corner of Hartheim Castle to the nearby bakery, grocery store, and inn, we saw the complicity of community members to the horror at Hartheim. Benefiting economically from the Nazi presence, these community members not only said nothing about their observations of death at Hartheim, they actively contributed to the sustenance of this murder center. How can humanity evolve past “othering” groups of people? Evolve past dehumanizing them to the point of choosing a few dollars over 18,000 lives? 

On the bus ride back to the hotel after Hartheim, this question still in my mind, I decided to open my News App. The first few articles I looked at were reporting “No Kings” protests around the country on June 14th. I was especially interested in learning more about those in Minnesota, after the terrible tragedy of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark being shot and killed and the “canceling” of the No Kings Protest in St. Paul. Despite the potential danger from a criminal still at large, people showed up anyway. People were unwilling to stay silent or be silenced. People carried signs supporting marginalized groups and speaking out against unbridled power of government. Humanity is a complicated thing. There is so much evidence to support Manny’s conclusion that “humanity has learned nothing,” and yet, there is evidence to suggest that some of humanity is learning. I know that I am learning and that this trip continued to grow my capacity for compassion and empathy, and for that, I will always be grateful.

As I return home, I keep thinking about how I can bring Power of Place back to my students, to ensure they are included in the part of humanity that is learning. This, too, was the core of the key question of many group members. While I don’t think I will be able to replicate the Power of Place exactly, as nothing I can say or show will be quite as impactful as standing in the places, meeting the people and descendants of survivors, or seeing survivors thrive in their family celebrations as a standing example of resilience. However, we have been changed by these experiences and this will be evident to our students. We have a better understanding of how to share these stories in a meaningful way and a greater network of amazing educators to help create meaningful materials for students. We have photographs of places and muscle memory of walking their space and these things we can share with thousands of students across the country. We have the Power of Place, the Power of People, and the Power of Pedagogy. With these, we can help humanity evolve, starting in our classrooms.