After traveling across the Atlantic, we arrived in Berlin ready for our walking tour. Jacob M and Daniel P will be reflecting on their experiences learning from our two awesome guides, Carlos and Darren. Their blog posts will be available tomorrow night.
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| Students waiting to check into our new home in Berlin |
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| Smiling students at Tegel Airport |
One of the highlights of the
first day of our field study was visiting the Brandenburg Gate (one of
Germany’s best-known landmarks, constantly changed by time). The history on
this piece of architecture is truly fascinating. I find it quite shocking how
the people of Germany were not actually allowed to approach this beautiful landmark
many years ago, unlike we were allowed to today. It is sad how many people walk
through the Gate’s openings and simply do not know its significance or the amount
of suffering that has taken place around it.
Thankfully, this trip has allowed
me to see two of the landmarks/buildings in Berlin that I have been so excited
to see. The first being the Brandenburg Gate – due to the amount of history it
has endured – and the second being the Reichstag.
Much like the Brandenburg Gate, I
was quite excited to see the Reichstag as I find the history behind it
incredibly intriguing. Looking at the Reichstag made me reflect on the
importance of my freedom as a Canadian. While doing this, I thought about the
people who looked at it nearly seventy-five years ago and wished that they had
the freedom that we students share back home today. I am
amazed by the past of the Reichstag, its significance, the decisions that have
been made there as well as what it has undergone.
Overall, the first day was
absolutely incredible. I can already tell that just by visiting a few landmarks,
the trip will be incredibly eye opening, and will allow us students to
understand what true freedom is.
-Daniel P.
During my experience with my tour
guide Carlos, my group and I were taught about many monumental sites in Berlin.
The old museum or Altes Museum stood out to me in particular because of the
history it comes with. The museum was one of seven museums, built on Museum
Island in Berlin. Notorious architect, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, who also
created many other monuments in Berlin, built the museum between 1823 and 1830.
The Altes Museum is acclaimed in neoclassicism, meaning it was built to
represent the historic Greek style. Since this building was built in Germany, the style was
confusing. I later learned it was built to represent Germany’s strength and
passion for ancient Greece considering their high power as well. I also learned
to help differentiate the building from ancient Greece, eagles were built on
top of each column, and two statues of Knights on each side of the museum were added. The experience learning about this historical monument allowed for my
discovering many things I didn’t know about German architecture and the
influence Greek culture has on it.
-Jacob M.
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