In October, 40 Year 11 History students and four staff members travelled to Berlin – a trip designed to complement their GCSE studies on the Cold War and Weimar and Nazi Germany. After a very early start on Saturday morning, we were blessed with a weekend of sunshine and blue skies and barely stopped.
During our three days in the German capital, we visited many famous landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag (German Parliament), Checkpoint Charlie, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. In addition to the memorable historical sites, which Foivos outlines brilliantly below, students also had some leisure time, including a riverboat cruise around the city, a bowling session that revealed some surprisingly competitive streaks (and a few questionable techniques), and sampling the shops and food court in the Mall of Berlin.
A huge thank you to the staff who gave up their weekend to accompany the trip: Ms Christie, Mr Gomez, Miss Johns, and Dr Valpola, and to the students for their engagement, stamina, and excellent company.
On the first day, we received an expert-guided tour of the Reichstag, along with other politically significant buildings such as various embassies; which gave an insight into modern German politics. Additionally, we were also shown a collection of memorials and museums, such as the Sunken Library in Bebelplatz, the Holocaust Memorial, and the Georg Elser Memorial. These were powerful representations of the extent of Nazi censorship, the experience of being Jewish under the Nazi Regime, and the consequences of rebellion respectively. Finally, a visit to Sachsenhausen, initially a Nazi concentration camp which then became a Soviet disciplinary camp, was an impactful way to deepen our understanding of the treatment of those not accepted by the respective regimes, which is difficult to fully comprehend when only reading about it in a textbook.
The second and third days placed a larger emphasis on the effect of the Cold War on Berlin. Visits to the Palace of Tears Exhibition as well as the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre provided an insight into the effect of the construction of the Berlin Wall on those living in Berlin, and the consequences of attempting to cross it. Additionally, we also visited the DDR Museum and the East Side Gallery, which placed a particular emphasis on the differences in cultural expression between East and West Berlin. Furthermore, we also received a guided tour of The Stasi Prison, where we were taught the importance of the Soviet Ministry for State Security in suppressing opposition.
Overall, the trip was an enjoyable yet illustrative experience, which gave an important and tangible insight into the impact of a changing political climate in Berlin, during both Nazi and Soviet regimes.
Foivos, Year 11
