Munich is the capital of the Bavaria region of Germany, in the Catholic part of the country. Until 1871, Bavaria was an independent kingdom which held tremendous political and economic power in central Europe, a feature it still holds in the German federation.
The core focus of the visit in Munich is to gain a deeper understanding of the rise of right-wing extremism in parts of Europe. We explore the phenomenon through the lenses of the Nazi movement and political takeover during the 1930s and World War II. To this end, we will focus on Munich as the core of the Nazi movement and amongst other visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site and the close by Nuremberg where the Nazi party has its rallies and where the post war tribunal was set. Furthermore, we will visit the Olympic Village which saw the 1972 terror attacks, often referred to as the event which internationalized the phenomenon of terrorism. Finally, we will explore the richness of Bavarian culture.
Tour Objectives
- Gain knowledge on root causes and drivers behind extremism, and a baseline for assessing right wing extremism in contemporary Europe
- Learn about of the impact of Nazi extremism in Germany in 1933-1945 as well as how international justice was sought post WW-II
- Understand the role of the 1972 Olympics as the internationalizing moment of terrorism
Possible Activities
- Visit the Nuremberg Trial Court House Museum, Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, and the NS Documentation Center
- Experience the 1972 Olympics Park memorial and the Octoberfest Museum
- Visit the Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg Documentation Center (Reichparteitagsgelände)