Berlin 2012

During the February half-term 24 Sixth Form historians (along with 3 staff) braved the sub-zero temperatures of Berlin to explore the varied history of the city.

The first afternoon saw the group sight-seeing down Berlin's main historic thoroughfare (Unter den Linden) to the iconic Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building, passing the memorial to one of Berlin students' less glorious moments - the site of the burning of 'anti-German' books at the beginning of the Nazi era.

Inevitably, a visit to Berlin encompasses a number of reminders of Germany's disturbing 20th century history. From the Nazi era we visited the Holocaust memorial in central Berlin; the Topography of Terror museum, constructed on the site of the Gestapo and SS headquarters; and the grim expanses of Sachsenhausen concentration camp, just a short journey from the city.

The post-war era saw Berlin and Germany divided, leaving the legacy of the Berlin Wall - some stretches of which are still standing - and Checkpoint Charlie, the main crossing-point beween East and West after the building of the wall. We were given a guided tour of the Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie by a West German man who had been involved personally in the smuggling of 129 people from East to West in the 1960s, resulting in his being kidnapped by the East German secret police (Stasi) and imprisonment in the Stasi prison complex in East Berlin. This Stasi prison was our final visit and again highlighted the bleakness and oppression of dictatorial regimes which violate the rights and freedoms of their own citizens.

We returned at the end of three intensive days feeling we had been given much food for thought, but there were also many lighter moments - from shopping in affluent West Berlin to sampling the authentic delights (?) of Hard Rock Cafe. As ever, we felt our half-term excursion had been a great experience - next year ... maybe the USA, maybe Russia … watch this space!

Alastair Barnett (Head of History)