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Museums X 2 & almost saying goodbye 😢

Museo de la Memoria. D2Hola! I am currently very sad typing this out because it was our last day:( today, we had a very educational and cultural day, going to a detention center and a new museum. The museum was a little weird but I actually enjoyed it very much!! Since the students’ school ends early on fridays, I enjoyed a lunch with Niki’s sister, brother, and brother’s girlfriend! I am writing this after temple, which was an amazing experience that was different for me, someone who has never been to a service. I am so so sad to be leaving.
Olivia

 

Our last full day in CĂłrdoba was super eventful. The two museum tours gave as an even more in depth view of the history of Argentina, with one of the museums focusing on how Argentina hosting the World Cup in the 1978 covered up all the negative actions that the government made regarding dictatorship. Also, watching the vocal performances in a Jewish temple was truly a memorable experience that I have wanted to do for a long time.
Kian

 



Today we visited the Detention Center “D2”. It was used as sort of a halfway point before Los Desaparecidos went to La Perla or another camp- they were tortured and imprisoned in D2 in order to extract information. Some people were also killed. D2 was a police station, so it was really impactful when I saw all of the police reports filed by parents about missing kids. The police gave rude answers to these parents when their children in reality were in the compound. Reading all the quotes from survivors of the center along with seeing objects of the dead, in my opinion, was the most powerful way to showcase the horrors experienced by Los Desaparecidos.
Tara
 

Each time I go to another concentration camp that was used during the Dirty War, I learn something new about this tragic time. The camp, called D2, was located in the middle of the city, right next to the cathedral, the plaza, and the cabildo. What really shocked me was that D2's location suggests that there was a certain level of civilian complicity during the Dirty War, because there is no way people were unable to hear the screams of the tortured coming from the building. What further shocked me by this museum was our discussion about how Videla's dictatorship used the World Cup of 1978 to distract both the world and Argentina from the crimes being committed during the dictatorship. If it wasn't for the few survivors telling their stories, we might never have found out about the extent of the dictatorship's actions. This experience reminded me that crimes like this are probably still happening today, and people must unite against oppressive regimes to bring safety and equality to all.
Rory

 
 


Today we went to the D2 detention center (a place where the government secretly  tortured citizens for the dictatorship) and the Caraffa museum. I thought that touring the detention center was a very moving experience, as they had made a conscious effort to keep the building as unchanged as possible while still educating its guests— the crumbling walls and scratched names in the prison cells were very impactful and unsettling. The museum was interesting, too, but was mostly modern art (not my favorite, but was made up for by the cool ceiling-mural).
Addie

 

Below: frescos en el Museo Genaro PĂŠrez (foto de archivo)
 

 
Today was another fascinating day of exploring Argentinian history. It felt almost invasive looking at all of the forbidden books from the past. However, it was depressing knowing that today was our last day in CĂłrdoba!
Austin
 


Today we went to two museums (one about the Dirty War and one with modern art). The museum about the dirty war (D2) was extremely powerful. It was crazy to see how close the desaparecidos were to the very center of Córdoba, and I was especially interested in how the government used the 1978 World Cup to try and cover the oppression in the country. The museum of modern art (Museo Genaro Pérez) was a little bit ridiculous in my opinion. I don’t really understand modern art much, in fairness, and I thought that a lot of the pieces were somewhat simple and unimpressive. All in all, it was a very nice day, but I’m very sad that we have to say goodbye to our new friends in Córdoba. Our time in Córdoba has gone by way too quickly. Next stop: Buenos Aires!
Alec
 


Today we further explored the culture of Cordoba. We started out at a detention center, D2, where we explored the brutality behind police exploitation of people. I was very moved. Next, we explored an art museum. There we saw all different genres of art. I have always felt that art is a true reflection of how people are feeling in the moment and this museum confirmed that thought. I have really enjoyed exploring CĂłrdoba and the culture it offers!
Saya

 



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