We had a very busy day in Berlin today, starting at the iconic Brandenburg Gate. From there we walked to the Holocaust Memorial, and then it was off to the historic Reichstag building for a program arranged for us through the office of Markus Koob, the Bundestag representative from Oberursel. There, we had a chance to visit the Bundestag observation gallery, meet with a member of Mr. Koob’s staff, and go up into the glass dome to enjoy a panoramic view of Berlin. We were then treated to lunch in an ultramodern government office building overlooking the Spree River. Our next stop was the “Topography of Terror” documentation center, where we learned about the rise of the Third Reich on the grounds of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters. After a quick stop for dinner on the Potsdamer Platz, we finished the day with an improv performance at the Distel Theater, where Constantin won a prize for providing the best prop for the evening—his phone charger.
Normally, a student would be writing this post, but our days in Berlin are so packed that we thought it best to let the students get their sleep while we’re here without expecting anyone in the group to stay up extra late writing for the blog. Instead, I will keep you updated over the next few days with photos and a brief description of our activities, and the student reports will begin once we arrive in Oberursel, starting with three students sharing their reflections on their experiences in Berlin. We hope everyone back home is on board with this plan to keep the group well rested and engaged.
Viele liebe Grüße von uns allen!
~Frau Greene
PS: Alas, we’re still missing one suitcase, but we hope that we can retrieve it from the airport first thing tomorrow morning. Frau Burgbacher and I are very proud of the affected students for dealing with this unfortunate situation with such good humor and grace.
What an exciting day! Looks as if everyone is assimilating well into German life! I love seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces. Great pictures too. Thank you for keeping us posted and letting the kids rest up before beginning their blogs!