Student excursions offer living history and more

While MU students are spending their summers at home, abroad, working, interning, holidaying or just plain relaxing, the Student Service Center is busy planning the activities for the upcoming year. From welcoming new Modulians at orientation week to organizing sports events, cultural excursions, assisting the Sustainability Committee in sustainable visits, there is always something to do for the interested MU student.

This past semester, the variety of opportunities ranged from a visit to the Zotter chocolate factory in Styria in southern Austria, to charity cooking for the homeless, to learning how to make traditional Austrian holiday treats. However, none was quite so moving and historically relevant as the visit to the World War II Mauthausen Concentration Camp located in Upper Austria. One of the largest labour camps in German controlled areas during the war; it has been preserved as a reminder of the past and a dedicated national memorial site. In addition to the camp, there is also a Museum and visitor center to help people grasp what happened during this turbulent time in history.

For MU students, both Austrian and international, it was a chance to reflect on world history and that of their own countries, and experience a place infamous for the human tragedies that occurred. Aishwarya Krishnan, MSc student in Sustainable Management, Development and Policy, shared her impressions of the camp:

‘’It was hard to walk out of Mauthausen without being overwhelmed by an eerie sadness. Having read about the daunting actions that were undertaken during the Second World War, I knew what to expect but the manner in which the tragedies were communicated to us by the tour guides intensified the empathetic and sympathetic relay of emotions. I really appreciated how important responsible the tourism of this place is, sadly it is something that takes very precedence back home in India.’’

A trip to a bio-Farm and a climbing park are already in the works - stay tuned to see what next semester will bring!

Photos courtesy of Thomas Ben Müller.