UC4 History Trip to Berlin

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, the History department took 33 GCSE students in UC4 on a four-day trip to Berlin. We experienced, first-hand, many of the locations covered in lessons, both from the German and Cold War aspects of our curriculum.

During our time in Berlin, we were treated to a plethora of activities, which allowed us to engage with the historical significance of the city while making unforgettable memories. This included a particularly memorable walking tour of key sites and monuments, including the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. 

We also visited a variety of museums and exhibitions over the weekend, including a tour of Otto Weidt’s Workshop for the Blind – a small 1940s broom and brush factory, where Weidt employed blind, visually impaired, and hearing-impaired Jewish workers. Seeing the site where Weidt bravely protected his workers from Nazi persecution was inspiring. It was fascinating to see some of the challenging realities of life during that time under a totalitarian dictatorship.

Overall, the Berlin trip was extremely valuable to our understanding of Germany, from its establishment through to the Second World War, as well as seeing its continuity as a flashpoint into the Cold War – both of which are crucial elements of the GCSE course.

Jillian, UC4

The whole group were very respectful in places like the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

They were also fantastically enthusiastic, willing to try anything and go anywhere, and really receptive to the history surrounding them in Berlin.

Shout out to Chloe (UC4), who helped me to navigate the S Bahn and U Bahn with such confidence!

Miss Burston, Teacher of History