BERLIN TRIP - HALLOWEEN 2011

Berlin is a very interesting city with a long and varied history. This history is perhaps most memorable arising from the role of the city in the Second World War and how the city was divided by the infamous Berlin Wall after the war had ended; as a divided city Berlin became an image of a divided Europe. So it was with bated breath that a group of sixteen students and two teachers departed Dundalk on 31st October 2011 en-route for Berlin.

Once there, our first stop was the TV tower, the thirteenth tallest building in the world and the tallest in Germany. Located at Alexanderplatz, the tower magnificently dominates the skyline of this, the former eastern part of the city. Having ascended to the viewing platform at a height of 203m in approximately thirty seconds (with much discomfort to ear drums!), we were witness to spectacular 360 views of this magnificent city by night. Off in one direction was the Brandenberg Gate while in another direction was the Reichstag. It was a good starting point as it gently introduced us to some of the sites of the city that we would encounter at close hand over the next few days.

Day two began with a guided tour of the city, beginning with a stop at Checkpoint Charlie, continuing to the Eastside Gallery (the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall, 1.3 KM, covered the entire length in Graffiti Art)and the river Spree. At the Brandenberg Gate, Seamus tried out his linguistic skills by parlez-vousing with a local gypsy lady. Imagine his shock when she broke into fluent French! Stick to the Gaeilge Seamus!This was also the site of Dale's economics lesson in the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility (in other words, your eyes are bigger than your belly!) with a multi-pack from "Dunkin Donuts".

In the afternoon there was a guided tour of Hertha BSC's Olympic Stadium. My biggest memory from here is the price of a Hertha shirt - €75!!Our tour guide left us wondering if Mr. Holmes has any relations in Berlin?This was the site of Jesse Owen's magnificent achievement at the 1936 Olympic Games, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of a certain Adolf Hitler! Our afternoon concluded with a stop at the Topography of Terror exhibition. Situated on the site of what was the headquarters of the SS, this museum proved to be very interesting, with many photographs and documents charting the rise of the Nationalist Socialist Party and the war that was waged on freedom of expression and opinion in Germany in the 1930s.

Day three saw us take a leisurely stroll (more a trek, to be honest) to the Bundestag, stopping off en-route at the Holocaust Memorial, an entire city block consisting of, well, blocks! Irregularly sized concrete blocks of varying heights! This memorial signifies the horror of the holocaust and celebrates diversity within the human race, emphasising how diversity needs to be accepted and celebrated.

Entering the Bundestag was akin to boarding a plane, including the requirement to present passports. It is a strange mix of the old with the modern and our excellent guide gave us the low-down on how voting takes place and where Dr. Angela Merkel sits while making decisions that have repercussions throughout Europe. The highlight was the dome, offering us view of the city, this time, by day. A pleasant hour was spent enjoying the sunshine while ag feachaint ar na cailíní deasa!

The afternoon included a trip to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp to the north of the city. As well as being a concentration camp, Sachsenhausen was also the training camp for the SS. In one ten day period, ten thousand prisoners were executed on this site. As we entered Sector Z, the slight chill of the November afternoon was added to by the eerie feeling of horror and disgust at what had occurred at this location. This feeling was given grounds in the suggestion by the guide that each time construction is done at this part of the camp, soil samples must be taken to check for human DNA.
On this gruesome note, the itinerary of the tour was concluded It had been a very educational experience in so many ways. We had practised our language skills with varying degrees of success- German, French and Irish. Dale revised some economics and learned again the value of budgeting (have you grown to love that "Bench" jacket yet, Dale?).The underground system challenged Mr.Halpin's and Mr. O'Connor's map-reading skills. PE was covered as we clocked up some miles on our walks through the city and Home Ec. saw us organise a balanced meal from the buffet for breakfast. And this is all in addition to the history! As well as the educational aspect of the trip, there was the craic! We entertained ourselves by choosing appropriate nicknames for the members of the group. So we travelled in the company of such luminaries of the pop/rock world as Bruno (mars) and Kurt (Cobain). Julian from the "Famous Five" was there, as well as "Squeaky" and "Hush". And, of course, T.J. was T.J. We fitted in a spot of Bowling and an enjoyable evening karting where several of us got stopped for speeding. Did anyone ever do that to Michael Shumacher?

Tired but informed, we returned to home. A huge "Thank you", "Danke", "Merci" or "Go raibh maith agat" to Mr.Halpin for the work he put in to make this such an enriching and enjoyable trip. We really do appreciate it, Sir and hope you find the benefits of our new found enthusiasm for the subject in class over the next wee while.