Berlin Trip

Category: German, History, MFL, News, Trips

Welcome to German Berlin Trip, October 2019

We’ve had a great first day in Berlin. After a very early start, we enjoyed hearing the stories of those who had tried to escape over the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989. It was amazing to see the outlines of buildings, fences and the remaining sections of the wall. Then on to the underground bunkers to explore the air raid shelters used during war time. A particular highlight was seeing the pneumatic post system in action. The day was nicely rounded off by a meal in Italian restaurant. Looking forward to exploring more of Berlin tomorrow!

Saturday 19 October

Well, what a marathon! We did 28000 steps today! The day began with a walking tour of Berlin, which was a great way to understand the geography of the Berlin wall. We learnt that the Brandenburg gate was within the Todestreife or death strip and therefore inaccessible for 28 years. Then in the afternoon we visited Panorama Berlin, a visual depiction of life at the border, before exploring Checkpoint Charlie, where we discovered some amazing escape stories. These included hiding in suitcases, next to car engines and even escaping by hot air balloon. Then we enjoyed seeing Berlin by night from the roof of the Reichstag.

Sunday 20 October

Our day began with an informative and reflective visit to Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp. We were astounded to see how close it is to the town, meaning that German people will have seen the prisoners being taken from the train station to the camp. We saw the cramped conditions the prisoners were kept in and learned about life in the camp, including a visit to the remains of the extermination building. We then travelled to Cecilienhof to learn about the Potsdam conference and see the rooms where Stalin, Churchill and Truman met. Our day finished with a leisurely cruise on the river Spree in the glorious sunshine. Perfect!

Monday 21 October

Today we found out more about life in Nazi Germany. We started our day with a tour of the olympic stadium, built to host the 1936 Olympics and to showcase German pride under Hitler’s regime. As a protected monument, it has a preserved facade, but inside is very modern and is the home stadium for Hertha Berlin. After a break for shopping and lunch, we explored the stories of those who had resisted in Nazi Germany, including the White Rose Movement. Tonight we are out to the Hard Rock Cafe, which we are very excited about! Lots of pictures of our trip can be seen on the MFL and History twitter feed.

Tuesday 22 October

We’re just finishing off our packing, before we enjoy our final day in Berlin. We’re looking forward to seeing the 360 degrees view of Berlin from Panorama Punkt, before learning about Germany under the Nazi regime at Topography of Terror. Then it’s shopping time! We’ll meet you at the arrivals lounge of Terminal 1 between 11.30pm and 12 midnight. We need to hand your child over in person. Bis bald!