f: 020 7638 3212
e: info@clsg.org.uk
City of London School for Girls
St Giles' Terrace, Barbican
London EC2Y 8BB
Helena: Although we were only in Berlin for four days, we managed to pack in a lot. We visited fourteen places in total!
Eve: We arrived at our hotel on Friday afternoon and we barely had time to drop off our bags before we set off for our first visit to see the Berlin Wall Museum and the East Side Gallery. The whole trip was designed to give us the complete history of Berlin in only four days. One might think that this is impossible to accomplish - but not for City girls!
Helena: One of the places that made a deep impression on me was the Jewish Museum. As well as having very interesting exhibitions about the history of the Jewish people, the architecture of the building was designed to make you reflect on what the Jews were subjected to before, during and after the Holocaust. One room, called the 'Memory Void', had a very high ceiling representing the gap in society left by the Jews as a result of the Holocaust. On the floor were thousands of metal screaming faces, which made clanging sounds and echoes as we walked on them.
|
|
||
|
|
Eve: As well as the history, there was, of course, the food (which provided much entertainment), the occasional language barrier and the impromptu fitness class that I conducted on Alexanderplatz after an evening visit to the “Fernsehturm” (Soviet TV tower). This is the tallest structure in Berlin and has extraordinary views. Erected by the Soviets during the 1960s, it is one of the few remaining landmarks reminding us of the division there once was between East and West.
Helena: It was very interesting to learn about German history in Germany itself. It made me think about the difficult issue for young German people of dealing with their country's history. I feel that I know about the recent history of Germany in a lot more depth and with more understanding than I did before, but the trip has also shown me how much there is still to know and inspired me to read more about this significant period and place.
Eve and Helena, Year 11