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From the Weimar Republic and the Nazi regime to the Cold War and the Berlin Wall, the city of Berlin is laced in historical significance. From 28 November to 1 December, 69 Year 11 History students had the privilege of travelling to the German capital to develop their knowledge and understanding of topics they have covered in the IGCSE curriculum.
After an early start on Thursday and an extremely delayed flight, we were greeted by a cold and rainy Berlin. Our first visit was to the Berlin TV Tower, which was definitely not an experience for the faint of heart. With 360° views of the city, we were able to clearly see its main street, Unter den Linden (under the Linden trees), as well as the difference in power output between where Berlin would have been divided into East and West Berlin.
Friday saw us being taken on a guided tour of the memorial of Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp located north of the city. Seeing the scale of the Nazis’ abhorrent actions was immensely hard-hitting and a lot to take in. Following that, we set out to see the Palace of Tears and the Topography of Terror. The Palace of Tears (Tränenpalast) is a former crossing point between East and West Berlin, and the museum detailed what life was like during that time period. The Topography of Terror is a knowledge centre based on the site of major Nazi instruments: the headquarters of the Gestapo, the high command and security service of the SS, and from 1939 the Reich Security Main Office. Later that evening the group toured the Reichstag, walking up to the top via the circular walkway in the dome. It provided not only wonderful night-time views of Berlin but also a history lesson on the building and German government.
Although the weather only seemed to get colder and colder, on Saturday our first stop was the DDR Museum. An interactive and enticing exhibition, the museum led us through what life was like during the time of the German Democratic Republic. In the afternoon we took a guided tour of the city, and we were treated to a gorgeous sunset over the infamous Battenburg Gates to close the day off.
Even though by Sunday it seemed like we had done everything, that was certainly not the case. Checkpoint Charlie was the Allies’ name for the most used Berlin Wall crossing point, and the museum was abundant with information on the Cold War period. And to top everything off, we completed our trip by getting lunch at an enormous Christmas market. Though we had visited smaller ones previously, as well as the Mall of Berlin, this was definitely the most exciting.
A massive thank you to Mr. Raine for organising and leading the trip; we are so incredibly grateful for all the effort you have put into making this amazing experience possible. To Miss Zanardo, Ms. Devine, Ms. Wölfel, Ms. Ramsden, Ms. Della-Porta, and Ms. Kung: Thank you all for your hard work and guidance.
Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin!
Nina, Year 11