notting hill and ealing high school
Berlin Trip Joe Pepper In the October half term 40
visited the Wannsee conference
students in Years 10 and 11
house, which is where the
spent five days in Berlin, learning
operational decisions about the
about 20th century European
Holocaust were made by leading
history. We had an action-
Nazis. The visit to the Memorial
packed tour, visiting a number of
to the Murdered Jews of Europe
different sites of interest. We
was also a very moving
learned about the division of
experience for the girls, and
Berlin into east and west during
allowed opportunities for
the Cold War period by looking
contemplation and reflection.
at the remains of the Berlin Wall and hearing stories about the
The trip also contained some
people who tried to escape the
lighter moments, including
rule of the GDR. The evening that
‘mocktails’ at the top of the TV
we spent at the Stasi prison was
Tower and a night of ten-pin
a real eye-opening experience for
bowling action. The modern city
all concerned. The methods,
of Berlin is vibrant, diverse and
psychological and other, which
full of things to do. Many of the
the secret police used to
girls plan to go back soon!
maintain their control over the population were chilling. We also learned a great deal about the Nazi period of rule during the trip. We spent a morning at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, on the outskirts of Berlin. Our tour guide vividly brought the subject to life and explained how the Holocaust
Senior School Newsletter Christmas 2017
worked in practice. We also