Barry Comprehensive School

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From June 29th until July 6th 33 Year 10 and Year Nine boys from Barry Comprehensive School visited Germany on a school history trip. They stayed in three cities, and saw key sites associated with Nazi history in Munich, Weimar, Nuremburg and Berlin. They were also able to follow German history up until the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Some of the sites were extremely memorable and moving, giving an insight into the suffering experienced by millions of Jews and other social groups under the Nazi regime. The pupils visited Buchenwald concentration camp on the outskirts of Weimar, where they witnessed the horrific conditions endured by the 250,000 inmates who passed through the camp, often used as slave labour.

In Munich, the boys were able to visit the Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall, where in 1920 the Nazis organised their Twenty-Five Point Programme. They also saw the complex of Nazi era buildings from which the whole party was organised. In Nuremburg, they visited the Nazi Party rally ground, and went around the ‘Museum of Fascination and Terror’, which is dedicated to an explanation of Nazi propaganda.

In Berlin, the boys stayed in the Meininger Hostel, which is virtually in the city centre. The programme included an evening visit to the Reichstag (German Parliament) building, which provides excellent panoramic views over the city. They walked through the city, following the line of the Berlin Wall. The tour included stops at strategic places where the wall has been preserved and also a visit to Checkpoint Charlie. They were also able to walk through the cellars of the Gestapo Headquarters, where prisoners were tortured, and visit other sites relevant to Nazi history.

Photos:

1. Buchenwald Concentration Camp
2. At the Brandenburg Gate
3. 1936 Olympic Stadium
4. Munich City Centre
5. On the steps of the Munich Art Gallery
6. The Berlin Wall