window from a cell in the D2 detention center
Stepping foot inside of the D2 Detention Center was a profound immersion into Argentina’s military dictatorship. The walls bore witness to the stories of countless individuals who suffered within the confines. It’s impossible not to feel a sense of history pressing down upon those who visit; for me this elicited emotions of sorrow, reflection, and grief.
Each space within D2 tells a story, unraveling the horror and despair experienced by those who were held captive. One space that moved me very deeply was a room in which families of those who were disappeared brought photo albums to preserve their memory as well as to write messages to their loved ones. Below is one entry in a family photo book.
Here is my best translation of this entry:
“Sometimes I would like to be a bird. I wonder what it would be like to see you from afar. Unfold my wings to the wind and cut the clouds in a passionate sky; sometimes I would like to be a bird, but not just any one, a bird of freedom.
You ask, what is a bird of freedom? It is that which is a pleasure to see, that illuminates the soul, restores life and stirs the heart. It is that which fills the stomach with butterflies and the mind with good thoughts. The bird of freedom flies by itself, proud of its fluttering, it only allows itself to be reached by the brave in spirit, by those who earn a living. Sometimes I would like to be a bird, a bird of freedom and fly close to you. Always close to you.”
I too felt a profound sense of immersion in the History of the space when I visited D2. I definitely believe having Fernando there to tell us his story was a major part of it. I had passed through the hallway on the way to the restroom twice without thinking anything of it, but when he told me that up to 50 people were held in that room, I immediately felt the heaviness present in the space. I think that this is an example of why we need the context and the stories of those who were there to truly understand the gravity of these Memory Sites.