History tour of Berlin

April 13th 2016

During the first week of the Easter break Year 11 and Upper Sixth History students travelled to Germany to immerse themselves in the history of Berlin, from the Second Reich, through the Weimer Republic and Nazi Third Reich, the Cold War and finally reunification.

The girls, along with their teachers and a guide from Anglia Tours, enjoyed a 12 mile walking tour of the city which took in all the major landmarks including the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall. The experience really brought what the girls have been learning about this year to life and they found it particularly interesting to gain an understanding of how the city came to terms with the events of the past.

On the second day the group visited Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, which was set up by the Nazis as a model camp in 1936. The girls also visited the site of the 1936 Olympics, where the traditions of the Olympic torch and village were set. In addition they had the opportunity to seehe Wannsee Conference Centre where the meeting of the “Final Solution” took place in 1942 and the DDR museum which provided a fascinating insight into the lives of people living in East Germany under the Communist regime.

The final day of the trip focused on the period following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and the on-set of the Cold War. The girls visited the sections of the Berlin Wall and listened to stories from people who lived through this time in 1961. From there the group went to the Stasi Museum where they found out the elaborate lengths the Stasi went to compile files on East Germans from 1949–1990.

Upper Sixth student, Lydia B said “I loved the trip and found it so fascinating! Our guide explained everything in a great way, especially in Sachsenhausen, where we learnt about not only the concentration camp but the prison inside. It really made us think about our surroundings instead of just reciting knowledge, which helped broaden our own understanding. My favourite part of the trip was visiting the East Germany museum.

Upper Sixth student, Maddy S said “Visiting Berlin has made my understanding of the historical events come to life. By actually being in the place where these events occurred I felt a connection and understood the scale of the events. Visiting Sachsenhausen was, for me, the part which brought the concept of the holocaust together. Being able to actually see the remnants of the bunkhouse and the “death factory” element of the camp was very moving.”

Year 11 student, Lucy M said “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the Berlin. It put into perspective everything I have learnt about Germany and The Cold War. The concentration camp we visited was very moving and made me more aware of the determination that the Nazis had to eradicate many groups of people.”

For more photos take a look at the Pipers Flickr page.