Berlin and Krakow - October 2016

---

On Sunday 2nd October - Tuesday 11th October, Year 12 and 13 History students took part in the Island School fieldtrip to Berlin and Krakow in Poland. This trip runs every two years for IBDP students and is design to bring History 'alive' by visiting some of the key historical sites related to German History, the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Cold War.

Day 1 - Berlin Walking Tour and 1936 Olympic Stadium

The first day of trip gave students a chance to familarise themselves with Berlin city centre as their guided-tour explored some of Berlin's key landmarks including the Museum Quarter, Berlin Cathedral, Unter den Linden, and Checkpoint Charlie.

​In the afternoon, we explored Hitler's 1936 Olympic Stadium, designed to impress the world with the achievements on the Nazi regime.

Day 2 and 3 - The Reichstag and Berlin Museums

On the second day of the trip we delved into Berlin's history as we visited various museums and landmarks. An early morning saw us travel the subway to the Reichstag building - Germany's parliament. This was followed by a visit to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, Story of Berlin, a Nuclear Bunker(!), the Stasi Museum, Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Topography of Terror. To cap off a perfect day, a tradition German meal of Berlin-style meatballs and potatoes was enjoyed by all.

Day 4, 5, and 6 - Krakow and Auschwitz

For the next three days we travelled by 370 miles by coach to the beautiful medieval city of Krakow in Poland. Krakow was once the ancient capital of Poland and the city thankfully escaped any damaged during the Second World War.

​Out of respect, we began our tour by visiting the concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Here some of the worst crimes of the Nazi regime were perpetrated on Jews and other victims of the Nazis.

​In the afternoon, we had time to explore the medieval streets of Krakow and its market square - the largest in Europe. Krakow castle situated on a hill above the city gave us a fantastic view of the surroundings. We then had time in the evening to explore Polish cuisine and culture, shopping in Krakow's famous markets.

Day 7 and 8 - Potsdam and the Berlin Wall

Our last full day in Berlin was spent visiting the nearby town of Potsdam, ancient seat of the Hohenzollern Dynasty. In Potsdam we visited various royal palaces including the Cecilienhof, site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference as well as the Glienicke Bridge, made infamous by the movie 'Bridge of Spies'.

​In the afternoon we visited the DDR Museum, home to countless artefacts from life in East Germany. In the evening, we ended our trip in a traditional Bavarian Beer Hall and a lift-ride up to viewing platform in the Fernsehturm de Berlín. On our last morning, we paid a quick visit to the East Side Gallery - part of the Berlin Wall.