Once again this year, motivated by the opportunity to learn through experience, 25 of our Y11 students and their teachers Matthew Brereton and Sean O´Donnell, visited Berlin. The purpose of the visit was to bring to life some of the things that they had learnt in books and in their classrooms. They visited one of the most iconic and historical 20th Century European cities.
As well as being a surprising and dynamic city with many tourist attractions, Berlin also impresses visitors with its history. 20th Century history seems to leap from books out onto its streets and one can still sense the events which shook the Continent in the middle of the last Century. Walking through the streets of Berlin is to walk through History and being able to visit the city is the best History lesson which our students can have.
Our students were able to walk through Berlin´s streets and see the difference between what was East and West Berlin. They also visited the remains of the wall which used to divide the city. Some of the other unmissable sights were: Check Point Charlie, a reconstruction of the old border control, witness to so many amazing defections from the East to the West; the famous Jewish quarter; and the Holocaust Memorial. The group was also able to take in some of Berlin´s most famous landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate, the more modern Reichstag building and Alexander Platz, the biggest square in Germany and a favourite meeting point for Berliners.
This was an amazing and fun trip which our students will never forget. It will certainly give them a better appreciation of 20th Century History, and an understanding of the modern world we live in. A clearer view of the current geo-political role which Germany plays in 21st Century Europe.