From Currywurst to Cold War: Politics Students on Tour in Berlin
As part of Esher’s annual Wider Skills Week, the Politics Department travelled to Berlin on a six day residential.
6.2 Politics Students, Lauren O’Keefe and Jennifer Smedley, report
The trip started with an early departure and after a quick turnaround at the hostel, we were off on a three-hour walking tour to introduce us to the city. Many of us fuelled ourselves for the walking with the traditional Berlin dish ‘Currywurst’, immersing ourselves in the German culture.
Despite going out in the evening, we still had to wake up early the next day for a bike tour, which explored key parts of Berlin’s Cold War history, including ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ and the Berlin Wall.
In the afternoon, half of the group visited the Olympic Stadium, home to the Euros 2024 final, whilst the other half embarked on a street art and graffiti tour. Later, we all enjoyed a fun night out at a location overlooking the River Spree.
The next morning, we climbed the Victory Column (Siegessaule) and enjoyed the view over Berlin. After an interesting talk at the German History Museum investigating alternative outcomes to the reality we see today, we got the chance to experience the contrast between British and German politics at the Bundestag (German Parliament). In the evening, we joined local ‘Berliners’ for a swim at the Weissensee lake where we also watched France vs Spain in the Euros semi-final into the night. The next day, we had an insightful tour of the Stasi prison which had been used by the GDR as a central detention centre for political prisoners; this was made particularly atmospheric by the storm which suddenly emerged! Afterwards, we embarked on an interactive walking Karl Marx tour which explored one of the key philosophers of our A Level course.
Regardless of the rain, everyone was very excited for the England vs Netherlands Euro semi-final which we watched at an outdoor venue with a giant screen – the celebrations and a lively journey home will be remembered! It was refreshing to have a change of scenery the next day as we ventured to the town of Potsdam where we saw beautiful palaces, parks and lakes. Later, we had a triumphant last night making the most of Berlin’s nightlife.
On the last morning, we were hit with torrential rain but still managed to make it to the ‘Topography of Terror’ memorial that documents the horrors of the Nazi regime across Germany and Eastern Europe. After having some free time to explore the last of Berlin and a sweltering journey on the train, we arrived at the airport and landed back in England after a great six days away making new friends and lasting memories.
