during the month In October, many people get into the Halloween spirit by exposing themselves to scary situations, such as going to see a horror movie or visiting a haunted house. However, some travelers seek that feeling all year round by dedicating themselves to “dark tourism.”
Dark tourism is the act of going to places connected to the macabre, or historical sites where death and suffering took place. Places like Chernobyl; Auschwitz; Salem, Massachusetts; and notorious crime scenes are some of the places connected to history’s darkest narratives that travelers choose to visit. In addition to the historical interest, people visit these places to feel a connection with the victims and come to terms with the injustices they suffered.
Another part of the appeal is the physical toll one often feels when being in a state of discomfort. James Giordano, a neurobiology researcher at Georgetown University Medical Center, says being scared triggers a specific response in the human body.
“The idea of being in a place that evokes fear or horror and flashiness is exciting,” Giordano says. “Going to those places is like we are a little on the edge.” Think about when someone might look closely at a gruesome car accident on the side of the road, he says. Going to some of these spaces where tragedy has occurred can evoke similar feelings, but in different ways.
The fear and the adrenaline rush that accompanies it are present. So is the ability to relate in some way to the lessons of history that one can draw from visiting a historical horror site. But another key element is also present: security. People expect to be scared, but they also know that they will be safe all the time. As Giordano says, the appeal of dark tourism is getting “all the excitement but none of the reality.”
More than witchcraft
A museum in the small Swiss town of Ennenda commemorates the last person executed for practicing witchcraft in Europe. Visitors can learn about the historic site and even see the sword used to behead the impoverished accused woman, Anna Göldi, who was murdered in 1782. Nicole Billeter, one of the curators of The Anna Goldi MuseumIt says the museum and its presentation aim to educate visitors about incidents that occurred hundreds of years ago in a way that counters historical misinterpretations of 19th century witchcraft.
“There are a lot of false images about witchcraft dating back to the 19th century,” says Billeter. “Everyone has this historical image (of what people convicted of witchcraft did) that is actually historically false. “We want to correct it.”
The story of Anna Göldi is talked about in school in Switzerland, says Billeter, and that’s why local tourists come looking for a connection to the story. “In Switzerland we have young people of all kinds,” he says. “I was surprised that teenagers came.”