Hello! My name is Kaila Klawes and I will be a senior at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee this coming fall. I am pursuing a degree in Social Work with a minor in Psychology. History is something I have always been interested in, especially regarding the Holocaust. When I learned about this trip, I was excited and thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about this important and tragic time in history, first hand.
Today we visited the Ponary Forest near Vilna. It was hard to imagine anything horrible happening in this place because it was so peaceful and beautiful, yet many people perished here. Next, we went to the Ninth Fort where we learned some of the history of Kaunas and what life was like for prisoners who were kept there. Overall, today was very somber, but I am glad I had the opportunity to experience these places and learn about the horrendous acts that occurred here so that I can pass my knowledge on to others. View the trip’s photo album here.
– Kaila Klawes, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee