Heidelberg 5 - Lest we forget

In general, I've been finding that the Germans are very matter-of-fact about their history.  A good example was the city-erected park on the site of the old Synagogue, that had been on the site from 1714-1938.  If you look at the time line on the photo of the placard, they give an extensive and, I assume, complete history of Jewish people in Heidelberg, good and bad.

Not being Jewish, it's impossible for me to know the feelings induced by thoughts of the Holocaust.  I feel that, today, Germany is about as fair and inclusive as any country can possibly be, while having an economy that we can only dream about in some ways (they actually make things that are worth buying).  They certainly seem to be the leaders in taking in refugees, and the diversity of races one sees most places here is impressive.  Undoubtedly, they'll actually profit from these refugees, as we have profited again and again from our immigrants.  US science would amount to very little without foreigners.  With the voting rights scandals and anti-immigrant anger going on all over the place in the US, we're killing the dream.  When I was in Germany for a science conference in April, I saw students from all over the world, speaking German and buying into life in Germany.  They're planning to stay.  Meanwhile, my best graduate student has been stuck in China for an extra month because of visa issues that are entirely generated by our government.  Killing the goose, killing the dream...

It's impossible for Germans to forget their history but, in the present, they are very impressive to me.

 Time line of Jews in Heidelberg.

 Site of the Synagogue

Memorial at the site of the Ark.