Last year, I was honored to attend the 35th International Youth Meeting (IYM) in Dachau and brought back everything I have learnt and shared my experience to my friends and colleagues. I didn't hesitate to register to attend IYM this year, and I was happy to have my brother, Curt, and my friend, Sophia, tag along with me. There we met Eyewitnesses during National Socialism in Germany, experienced Bavaria, and made friends from around the world. A reason why I attended IYM was to understand how history stays relevant to the present as well as to understand the importance of remembrance. My grandmother, who just recently turned 92, would often tell me her stories during the war. How as a young girl, she was forced to hide from the Imperial Army and starve for weeks. Grandmother didn’t spare me the details when I was a child, and I’ve always admired her strength and love to teach me and my brother some history. I recall the talks we had with the Eyewitnesses, their desire to enlighten the youth so that the past may not be forgotten touched me, as well as their thought-provoking questions to the youth and gentle personalities.
I particularly love the vibrant colors emanating from the people; the Eyewitnesses, the Teamers, and the other participants. The topics introduced to us may leave us horrified by the grim nature of the events that lead to the war, however, time with friends would often lighten up the day with walks around Dachau and evening trips to the pub. There was a time for laughter and silence those days. My friends and I would hang out in the legendary Serbian pub to drink Weißbier and eat Cevapcici, which would be accompanied with talks about our different cultures and some of the topics we’ve discussed in our respective workshops. From meaningful talks with Laure and Jonathan to hilarious arguments over who the “best Slav” is, between Lea, Mihajlo, and Michał; it’s lovely to meet people your age from other cultures. Additionally, it was truly moving to see how the Teamers passionately lead us through the tours and workshops. I managed to hang out with some of the teamers like Bekka from Iceland, whose energetic and lovely personality is adored by many; the Serbian duo Miloš and Stefan, who would complain about my funny decisions and, coincidentally, are best Teamers to crack ridiculous jokes with. I particularly loved how Jan, Beatta, and Stefan held the Resistance workshop; it was really engaging and you could see that they were really passionate about the topic. These are some of the few, but amazing, people who are part of a brilliant team. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to hang out with all of the teamers, but I hope they understand my gratitude and love for them and their work.
After our workshops, we'd be welcomed with various events. Such as: the International Evening or oIYMpics and the Bavarian Dance Evening. Here we made new friends and enjoyed each other's company. In the oIYMpics, several groups made up of participants competed against each other in a series of fun games which ultimately ended with a water balloon fight. The Bavarian Dance Evening was an exhilarating event that swept us off our feet, it was a chance to learn some moves and the how-to's of traditional Bavarian dancing. The events weren't limited to Dachau, however. We were given breathtaking tours in Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In Munich, we learned about the history of the city and its relevance during national socialism; we got to experience more of Munich in our trip to the beer garden, where we shared stories, ate Pretzels, and drank Radler. Garmisch-Partenkirchen was an amazing trip, something out of a fantasy book; we went hiking, some of us got to swim, and others enjoyed the view of the mountain from the hills.
IYM is a unique experience that I think all youth should attend. It's a two-week event that's jam-packed with events and exciting activities. Of these events include tours around Dachau and in Munich; my favourite events are the Eye-Witness talks and the visit to the Memorial Site. We learned in our workshops about the dangers of national socialism and the sacrifices of those who fought against fascism. More to this, we were able to hear the stories of survival during national socialism and life after the war from Eyewitnesses, such as Natan Grossman, Abba Naor, and Volodymyr Dshelali.