The Reagan Legacy Foundation Liberty Education Tours 2010 European Tour (American Students) Germany & Czech Republic June 19-30, 2010 2010 Daily Blog

Day 1: Saturday, June 19, 2010 Travel Day: Los Angeles to Prague Day 2: Sunday, June 20, 2010 We departed Los Angeles (LAX) at 6:30am Saturday for the flight to Prague. We arrived safe & sound at 7:50am Sunday morning. After arriving at the Clarion Congress Hotel we were off to the city center…by the Underground (subway). After lunch at Jedova Chyse we returned to the hotel to unpack, rest and prepare for dinner. As we flew in we noticed the beautiful, green countryside.

Day 3: Monday, June 21, 2010 Prague Airport, Czech Republic After a gigantic breakfast buffet at the hotel we set out for a full day touring Prague (capital of the Czech Republic) nick- named the “City of a Hundred Spires”. We began at the Prague Castle (one of the largest castles in the world according to Guin- ness Book of Records), home of the Presidential Palace. As luck would have it we were in time to view the changing of the guards. From the Palace we left the bus behind and began our day-long trek around the city (on foot) visiting the Charles Bridge (built around 1357 and crosses the Vltava River) and breaking for lunch at U Zlateho Hada. After lunch we were received at the Wallenstein Palace (home of the Czech Senát) by one of Larry’s colleagues, Roman Joch. We were treated to a VIP tour of the Palace and visited the Audience Chamber, Antechamber, and Mythological Corridor and ended up in the Gallery overlooking the Senate Chamber. After the Palace tour we assembled in the Wallenstein Garden to hear a very informative lecture by Mr. Joch about the history, culture, and politics of the Czech Republic. After a traditional Czech dinner buffet we enjoyed a night in town – “Old Town” Prague. We assembled at the Astronomical Clock and everyone had ice cream. Then some shopped, some rode in a horse drawn carriage, and some just walked around enjoying the crowds, sights, and sounds. The area was buzzing with World Cup fans watching a match on a very large screen erected in the square. A day in Prague, a day to remember. Student’s Perspective - Nathan: “Today was the Reagan Legacy Foundation’s first day tour- ing the sights and places of Prague. As we boarded the bus Wallenstein Palace, Prague as obvious tourists in a very different culture to America; besides observing the beautiful buildings and monuments,

The Reagan Legacy Foundation 1 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 I hoped to gain more knowledge about what the Czech society thinks and feels for the American pride and people. A chapel. We visited the bunkers in the country side where brave men battled years ago and we also saw the iron curtain at the local Czech man said, “Americans only care about other Americans.” It was a sad statement to hear because as a group border of Austria and the Czech Republic at the time and proceeded to climb an old guard tower. Slowly the trip is changing we are here to understand the meaning of freedom and natural rights; yet I feel being here the Czech society needs to from visiting the present and the focus is shifting to that of the past and the plight of the peoples in times of oppression. This trip understand America only seeks to spread the its freedom and pursuit of happiness. But our day also consisted of seeing is beginning to provide insight into the hardships others faced and the unjust acts of subjugation that were forced upon them, the castle in Prague and touring the Senate building. Both were beautiful and gave us an idea of the Czech Republic’s which truly shows us how fortunate we are. Not only did we cover the present day connections of the Czech Republic, we took a retrospective point of view towards the fear of Nazism to the extreme swing to communism.” culture. I was very pleased to find how many Czech’s spoke English which in a way gave exchange to both our attempted kindness, but also a better way to identify the feelings of the Czech people toward Americans. The sights were breath- Day 6: Thursday, June 24, 2010 taking and whenever we adventured down a narrow street in the city, it reminded me of a back-lot movie scene at Today we traveled from the Southern part of the Czech Lidice: “Memorial to the Children of Lidice” universal studios. As the trip continues I only hope the sights continue to stay beautiful and holding that outline feeling Republic (Znojmo) near the Austrian border to Berlin; Czech Republic of freedom as the trip continues.” about 8 hours. On the way we visited Lidice and Terezin. Lidice is a village just north-west of Prague. It is built Day 4: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 on the site of a previous village of the same name which, After completing our tour of Prague we traveled to Znojmo. En route to Znojmo we visited Telč, a town which has inspired poets as part of the Nazi created Protectorate of Bohemia and and enchanted painters. The royal city of Znojmo is situated on a rock outcropping on the steep left bank of the Dyje River with Moravia, was, as per orders directly from Heinrich Him- a number of examples of medieval architecture. mler, completely destroyed by German forces in reprisal This evening we walked around Znojmo visiting local shops. We had dinner at Restaurace na České. On the way back from for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in the late dinner we stopped into the only store left open – a candy and ice cream shop. Needless to say we stocked up on lots of goodies… spring of 1942. On June 10, 1942, all 192 men over 16 years of age from the village were murdered on the spot This evening we set out the goodies, set up a projector and DVD player, and watched Swing Kids. by the Germans in a much publicized atrocity. The rest Brief plot summary of Swing Kids: In Nazi occupied Germany; the youth of the nation were pressed into joining a pro-Nazi of the population was sent to Nazi concentration camps Youth League called the “Hiterjugend”, or Hitler Youth. A group of rebel teenagers, however, chose to defy Nazi directives and where many women and nearly all the children were grew their hair long and listened to American music while calling themselves the “Swing Kids.” This is the story of one group of killed. Heydrich’s assassination was carried out by two Swing Kids and how Nazi rule and persuasion tore them apart and set them against each other. Czechoslovak resistance fighters who had been trained in Great Britain and had parachuted into the area several Student’s Perspective - Elizabeth (Lizzy): months before. “Today we embarked on a new adventure that led us to beautiful city of Znojmo, of course only after a group-bonding 4 hour Theresienstadt concentration camp (often referred to as Terezín) was presented by the Nazis to the outside world as a model drive and a stop in Telc. The city was absolutely marvelous, and the ways in which the people had little experience with the Jewish settlement, but in reality it was a concentration camp. Many of the 80,000 Czech Jews who died in the Holocaust died American society made the trip that much more interesting. Through these past few days, I’ve come to learn that America and in Terezin, where the conditions were deplorable. Terezin was also used as a punishment prison for Allied POWs who persisted the Czech Republic do have something in common that explains why some Czechs may hold hostility towards us; appreciation of in escape attempts. freedom. Though many of the Czechs have not outgrown the concept of communism in their daily lives, the concept of making The Red Cross was allowed to visit Terezin once. The camp was spruced up for the occasion. Certain inmates were dressed up conscious decisions for themselves is an idea that both cultures adore but only the Americans fully experience. This has completely and told to stand at strategic places along the specially designated route. Shop windows were filled with goods for the day. Even broadened my thoughts on cultural sensitivity, and in the days to come I know that the principle of freedom will bring me and the candy shop window overflowed with bon bons creating a fantastic illusion. The Red Cross concluded the Jews were being the Czechs closer in a more spiritual aspect.” treated all right. Day 5: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 Student’s Perspective by Matt K.: Today we were very busy touring many of the area’s trea- “Today we travelled from the Czech Republic and transitioned ourselves from Czech ideals to German ones. After a long ex- sures: Castle Vranov nad Dyji, MJ-S2 “Uvoz” Bunker, cursion, we stopped and observed some of the Nazi’s cruelty up close by visiting the memorials of an entirely wiped out village and the Cornštejn Castle. We also traveled to the Czech- named Lidice. It makes me realize how important it is to keep one’s Austrian border where we visited a portion of the Iron family and friends close. Also the trip seems to have shifted from an Curtain and took our chances climbing a guard tower. uplifting and filled with curiosity to serious contemplation and an After dinner this evening we enjoyed a traditional game overall somber tone. When we went into the concentration camp of bowling. at Terezin, I felt extreme empathy and realization. It was truly eye opening and enlightening. I have gained so much perspective in to- day’s adventures alone. I know that in the succeeding days I will only Student’s Perspective by Pabasara: gain more perspective.” “It’s been an interesting experience having to wake up each day and rush down immediately to eat a hearty Day 7: Friday, June 25, 2010 meal and begin a new day and adventure on our tour. Today we were the guests of Frau Alexandra Hildebrandt Director Today was the main shift in our trip as the mood and of the Museum (home of the Ronald Reagan Iron Curtain, Czech-Austrian Border outlook slowly changes as do the sights we see. We saw Room). She gave us a personal VIP tour of the museum. After our Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin the art of the area by the small castles and a beautiful tour we enjoyed lunch 681 feet above the ground in the revolving restaurant on the Berlin Television Tower. The Reagan Legacy Foundation 2 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 The Reagan Legacy Foundation 3 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 After lunch we returned to the newly completed Inter- Later this evening Frau Hildebrandt invited us to the Checkpoint Brandenburg Gate, Berlin national Education and Conference Center for Freedom Charlie Museum to watch the movie “Night Crossing”. The film is Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Democracy at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families, who on engaged in discussions centering around, you guessed September 16, 1979 escaped from to West Germany it, freedom and democracy. Each student accepted the in a homemade hot air balloon during the days of the invitation to express his or her ideas and feelings about when emigration to West Germany was strictly prohibited by the con temporary conflicts between nations. They all did a East German government. We also celebrated Ben’s 19th birthday. great job! Student’s Perspective by Arya: For dinner Alexandra took us to a wonderful restaurant “Today the Liberty Education Tour got the royal treatment, liter- located at the Forsthaus Paulsborn country estate where ally. The day started out with a tour of Frederick II’s palace (built we were treated to a formal dinner the included venison 1745) and the Cecilienhof Palace, in Potsdam, Germany. Though, as an entree choice. A very long, rewarding day. the architecture is a story in itself, what perhaps left a greater im- Day 8: Saturday, June 26, 2010 pression in my mind was the reentry into “East Germany” and the various buildings our tour guide, Mietka, pointed out. It really is This morning we toured many of the historical sites of difficult to not only hear, but truly understand the swift change in Berlin. Site of Hitler’s bunker, Holocaust Memorial, regimes for the people of East Germany as the wall was being forti- American Embassy, Brandenburg Gate, and the Ken- fied. To have lived through the terror tactics of the Nazi regime only nedy Museum. to see its replacement with the Communist form is unfathomable. After lunch we visited the most famous (and best) chocolatiers in Berlin: Fassbender & Rausch (est. 1863). Everyone was in co- Mietka described how the Russian occupation army blocked off cer- coa heaven. Driving back on the bus we noticed some chewing (literally) on big hunks of chocolate. They discovered the beauty tain urban districts and even installed a KGB headquarters there of dark chocolate made of 70% Ecuadorian Cocoa… to more efficiently enforce universal acceptance of communism. It After visiting Charlottenburg Palace (largest palace in Berlin built in 1695) we were off SHOPPING… Two groups went in two is heartbreaking to discover that the end of the second world war did not bring liberty and democracy to all of Germany, but different directions. One group walked to Ka De We – Berlin’s largest and most luxurious department store (and also the largest Ronald Reagan and his predecessors weren’t about to lose hope for a free and united Germany.” department store on mainland Europe) opened in 1907 and covers 7 floors with 60,000 sq meters of floor space. We are told over 180,000 shoppers visit each day. We spent most of our time on Day 10: Monday, June 28, 2010 the 6th floor (gourmet foods) where you could choose among over This morning we received a VIP tour of the Reichstag Building (built in 1894 and home of the German government and parlia- 1,300 varieties of cheese from around the world. Amazing! The Cecilienhoff Palace, Potsdam ment). Historical note: In February 1933 the Reichstag Building caught fire under questionable circumstances; quickly blamed evening was spent recuperating from the full day… on the Communists. This crisis provided an excuse for the Nazis to suspend most constitutional rights. With civil liberties sus- pended, the government instituted mass arrests of Communists, including all of the Communist parliamentary delegates. With Day 9: Sunday, June 27, 2010 the Communists gone and their parliamentary seats empty, the Nazis gained a majority; subsequent elections confirmed this We spent the day in the Potsdam area. Our first stop was Sans- position and allowed Hitler to consolidate his power and establish his dictatorship. souci Palace (former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King After lunch we toured Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp located north of Berlin. Between 1936 and 1945 thousands of exe- of Prussia, 1745) where we were able to visit many of the beautifully cutions took place either by shooting or hanging. Many were executed in the camp by being shot in the back of the neck through decorated rooms. a hidden hole in a wall while being measured for a uniform. On the front entrance gates to Sachsenhausen is the infamous slogan Next we toured Cecilienhoff Palace, location of the Potsdam Con- Arbeit Macht Frei (“Work will set you free”). About ference between July 17 and August 2, 1945. Many of the rooms 200,000 people passed through Sachsenhausen and had been refurnished to match the taste of the conference partici- over 30,000 inmates died from execution, exhaus- pants: Winston Churchill (later Clement Attlee), Joseph Stalin and tion, disease, malnutrition or pneumonia from the Harry S. Truman. They all met at the round table in the great freezing winter cold. hall and divided up Germany for the post WW2 occupation. On Sachsenhausen was also the site of the largest coun- 26 July 1945 Churchill and Truman issued the Potsdam Declara- terfeiting operation ever. The Nazis forced inmate tion defining the terms for Japanese surrender, while Truman had artisans to produce forged American and British cur- already given order to prepare the atomic bombing of Hiroshima rency, as part of a plan to undermine the British and and Nagasaki. United States’ economies. Over one billion pounds Lastly we visited the Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium). When in counterfeited banknotes was recovered. the Nazis came to power they decided to use the 1936 Summer This evening brought a change of pace as the ladies Olympic Games for propaganda purposes. With these plans in enjoyed a fashion show and dessert while the guys mind, Hitler ordered the construction of a great sports complex in Certificate of Achievement presented by Artiom Hildebrandt, enjoyed a night out on the town eating Apple Strudel Director of the “International Education and Conference Center Grunewald named the “Reichssportfeld” with a totally new Olym- and ice cream at a corner café and people watching. for Freedom and Democracy”, Berlin. piastadion.

The Reagan Legacy Foundation 4 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 The Reagan Legacy Foundation 5 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 Day 11: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 Thursday-Saturday, July 15-17, 2010 This morning we all went shopping for those final Activities in Santa Barbara, California: Young America’s Foundation Conference, Concluding Activities, have-to-get-things… So, back to Ka De We it is… Graduation Ceremony where one could spend a week and still not see ev- The American students participated in the final three days of the European student’s tour at the Young America’s Foundation erything… Soon the students learned the “value of conference at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, CA. They visited Rancho del Cielo and enjoyed hearing from out- a Euro” and ended up doing their serious shopping standing speakers and panels and mingling with like-minded students from across the U.S. at H&M (discount store). Seems H&M has a store on every block in Berlin, not surprising consider- The program concluded as all the students (European and American) and their families attend a Farewell Banquet and Gradu- ing they have 367 stores in Germany alone. Lunch ation Ceremony, where Michael Reagan presented each student with The Reagan Legacy Foundation Freedom Fellow Award ranged from sushi to McDonalds – we all had had and entrusted them with the charge to represent Ronald Reagan’s legacy in their future endeavors. enough Goulash. * * * * * This afternoon we toured the Jewish Museum that The Reagan Legacy Foundation’s Liberty Education Tours are making long strides in fulfilling Ronald Reagan’s admonition… was built in 1933 and subsequently closed by the Nazi’s in 1938. It wasn’t until 1975 that an “Associ- ation for a Jewish Museum” formed to resurrect the “Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. Michael Reagan awards Freedom Fellow designation old museum. We were able to view a special exhibi- We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, tion titled: Heroes, Freaks, and Super-Rabbis: The Jewish Dimension of Comic Art. Did you know protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Superman was the work of Jewish cartoonists—as were Batman, Spiderman, and other superheroes of the era? — Ronald Reagan This evening’s farewell dinner was hosted by Frau Alexandra Hildebrandt at the Museum at Checkpoint Charlie home of the permanent Ronald Reagan Exhibit the Reagan Legacy Foundation helped create. Each student and staff member shared a thought about their time in Europe. It is clear the Freedom Fellow students have been successful in learning and better under- standing European history, the story of Nazism and the allied victory, and of course the long road to liberty through the Cold War. At the conclusion of the evening Artiom Hildebrandt, director of the newly completed International Education and Con- ference Center for Freedom and Democracy, awarded each student a Certificate of Achievement.

Student’s Perspective by Ben: “Will Durant once said, ‘Those who do not know history are forever condemned to repeat it.’ Europe as a microcosm of human interaction provides a rich history of political, social, economic, and military conflict ultimately for one reason--liberty. The strife of nation states, religious ideologies, and expansive tyranny are not just pages in a textbook--but a reality in our modern age. Had we lived in 1942 we would be training with broomsticks preparing for a war with Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. Economic recession and restriction, a war of terror and religion, moral degradation of a modern culture, and ever present famines and genocides face our generation--yet we are caught in a trance of information distracted by entertainment and caught up in politically correct forced idealism of a ‘utopian’ society here on earth. History is a testament to human nature and the destruction of human civilization. Yet, the founding fathers established a ‘city upon a hill’ as a shining testament to the preservation of our God given liberty. We have the obligation of preserving our freedom through common sense, free enterprise, civic republicanism, and individual responsibility. The histories of the Czech Republic and Germany depict the struggle between liberty and tyranny. Although cyclical, liberty does not always win–in fact, with the destitution of the third world and chal- lenges to America’s liberty at home and abroad, it can be argued that we are losing. Only with positive patriotism re inspired by Ronald Reagan can we pay the cost of liberty—‘constant vigilance.’ Inspired by Ronald Reagan’s legacy we can preserve and extend the founding father’s core principles that protect our God given rights. Freedom is the essential grace of reason, of emo- tion, and of itself.”

** End of the European portion of the 2010 tour **

The Reagan Legacy Foundation 6 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 The Reagan Legacy Foundation 7 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010 Liberty Education Tours For many young people today, the struggle for freedom and liberty is merely a chapter in a history book. The Reagan Legacy Foundation’s Liberty Education Tours seek to change that – not sometime in the future – but now. This unique educational program offers our future leaders tangible education in the principles of liberty as they study the words and actions of President Reagan and other great leaders while visiting sites significant in the history of freedom in the United States and central Europe. Participants will hear incredible speakers, meet peers from across the U.S. and Europe, network with leaders, engage in discussions, and receive valuable resources. At the conclusion of the Liberty Education Tours student will be fully prepared to return to their communities as Freedom Fellows — knowing the precepts of Liberty and fortified to act in defense of those principles. During these tours students will study perspectives from U.S. President Ronald Reagan to: • Compare the policies of Democracy and Socialism. • Learn about the American founding principles and the legacy of liberty. • Explore the history of Communism in modern Europe and the influences that led to its demise. • Visit the sites that reflect the life and character of President Reagan and compelled him to be a defender of freedom.

The Reagan Legacy Foundation The Reagan Legacy Foundation is a non- profit, charitable organization founded by Michael Reagan, son of former president Ronald Reagan. The organization seeks to advance the causes President Reagan held dear and to memorialize the accomplishments of his presidency. Ronald Reagan’s unwavering dedication to individual liberty and global Michael Reagan with his father, President Ronald Reagan democracy is underscored in the Foun- dation’s work in central Europe with the building of a permanent Ronald Reagan Exhibit at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in Berlin. The Foundation also supports institutions and non-profit organizations that conduct education and research on the presidency of Ronald Reagan such as the Young America’s Foundation “Reagan Ranch Project” and the Ronald W. Reagan Leadership Program and museum at Eureka College, the President’s alma mater. Other charitable activities include scholarships for sailors and airmen serving aboard aircraft carrier USS Ronald Rea- gan and their family members, and education about and the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. For Tour Information Contact The Reagan Legacy Foundation Denise Nielsen, Chair of Educational Programs (888) 573-2426 [email protected] www.ReaganLegacyFoundation.org

The Reagan Legacy Foundation 8 Liberty Education Tours: Europe 2010