Just before the half term break, a group of Middle School students travelled to Berlin for a study trip.
In the Jewish quarter, we saw where important Jewish buildings used to be, and learnt of the story of the old synagogue, which was unfortunately bombed by Allied forces in the war. We saw a range of Holocaust memorials, such as street art, graffiti, statues, sculptures, as well as areas that had been allowed to remain as they were in the 1940s. Our guide spoke of the problems brought up over the ‘steppingstone’ memorials (people standing on them by accident), and the creator’s response (using brass so they shine more with wear and tear).
After a traditional German lunch, we visited the German parliamentary buildings (Bundestag), and the glass dome lookout on the roof. I found the architecture incredibly unique for its blend of modern minimalism contrasted with an older style of ornate sandstone. The next day we went on a boat tour and learnt about the Fernsehturn (the tallest building in Germany thanks to a 4-meter-tall antenna added in the 1990s) built by East Berlin as a display of engineering might. We also learned what life was like for the everyday man in East Germany thanks to a tour of the DDR museum, before finishing off the trip with a beautiful view from Panoramapunkt.
I found the trip to be far too short, and I am excited to learn more German and hope to visit Berlin again one day.
Ruben Tandy, Y10
