Our first full day in Berlin was a very busy one! We started things off by heading to the historic Reichstag building, where we enjoyed a tour of the Bundestag, after which we were able to go up into the building’s glass dome and take in some nice views of the city. Our next stop was the Brandenburg Gate area and the nearby Holocaust Memorial. From there, we took a stroll down the grand boulevard Unter den Linden, After a quick stop for lunch, it was time to explore what lies beneath Berlin with a tour of the underground bunkers used as bomb shelters during World War II and converted into nuclear fallout shelters during the Cold War era. Then, to lighten the mood a bit, we popped into the Ampelmann Shop, Berlin’s famous brand featuring the beloved East German pedestrian crossing figure. Our evening plans took us to West-Berlin, where we had a chance to see the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and some of the other interesting sights along the Kurfürstendamm.
Typically, a student would have written this blog post, but given our packed schedule in Berlin, 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.
For now, all the best from exciting Berlin!
~Frau Greene