During the February half-term break, 52 Year 10 and Year 11 students participated in an overseas residential trip to explore the history of Berlin. They braved the 6am departure time and safely flew from Manchester Airport, arriving on the Monday afternoon. Germany’s capital city has one of the most fascinating and intriguing modern histories, being at the heart of Hitler’s Nazi regime and a also a symbol of the mistrust, suspicion and division between the democratic west and communist east during the Cold War. We were lucky to be staying at a hotel by the Hauptbahnhof central station, a mere stone’s throw away from the Reichstag Building, home to Germany’s Parliament and host to the infamous 1933 fire which enabled Hitler to turn Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship. Our students undertook a walking tour through Berlin’s sights and landmarks, including the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Humboldt University and the site of Hitler’s bunker. Mercifully the wet and drizzly weather failed to dampen their spirits! We then explored Berlin’s Cold War history in detail, visiting the memorial to the Berlin Wall, Stasi HQ, the East Side Gallery and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum over the following two days, where students were able to see in the flesh locations that they have studied in detail in the History classroom! A particular highlight of the tour was a visit to the German Parliament, which culminated in a visit to the glass dome, enabling our students to experience the picturesque Berlin city skyline at night. On our last day, there was time for some exploration and shopping at Alexanderplatz before our students landed safely back at Manchester Airport, arriving back in Sunderland just before midnight.
I am very proud of how well our students conducted themselves during this visit, and I will be forever grateful for the five other wonderful Christ’s College staff who gave up most of their own half-term break to supervise the students! I have every confidence that the Berlin trip will have created many fantastic memories for our students.
Mr. Aspin
