German and History trip to Berlin

On Thursday 9th October 51 Cheney students flew to Berlin. 31 were Year 10 students studying history and the others all study German in years nine, ten or twelve. We woke up really early (3am!!) but it was worth it. We got the plane from Heathrow and it landed in Berlin around 10 am. The German students then went to our partner school the Max Planck Gymnasium where we got a warm welcome as we were greeted with traditional German snacks. The history students went to their youth hostel and then explored Alexanderplatz which was very close to where we stayed.

On the second day, we returned to Max Planck. The school has an amazing history. One of the older buildings still has bullet holes around its entrance from when the Russians took the city at the end of World War 2. We all did a rally which involved following a map of the local area and answering questions. Then we took the Ubahn to the Zoologischer Garten where we saw all sorts of animals like pandas, giraffes and penguins.

The next day, Saturday, was very busy. We started at the Wall Memorial where our tour guide taught us so much about the people who died trying to escape from East Germany. Next stop was the DDR museum where we learned what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. With no time to rest, we moved on to the Reichstag where we learned about the German government and more about the city. Finally we concluded the day with bowling along with the German exchange students. 

On Sunday we went to a flea market. It was really fun. Then we went to a second flea market so I was even more excited. After that we went to the East Side Gallery, which features sections of the old Berlin Wall which have been painted over by famous artists. The history students then had dinner at Hofbrau and we went home to our host families.

On the last day we went on a lovely boat tour of the city and then visited Checkpoint Charlie and a museum called The Topography of Terror which explains how the Nazis rose to power and the crimes they committed. We then flew back home and didn’t get to bed until after midnight. But most of us were back at school the next day!

Maddie, Julia and Sammy (year 9)