History School Trips to Berlin

The Stasi were the intelligence force of East Germany and the equivalent of the KGB. The Stasi museum is located in House 1 on the former grounds of the headquarters of the GDR Ministry for State Security (MfS). The building was erected in 1960-61 as the offices of Erich Mielke, who served as Minister for State Security from 1957 until the end of the GDR.

Demonstrators stormed the building on 15th January 1990 and took over the Stasi headquarters. Following this, the GDR regime ended. The Stasi has been described as one of the most effective and repressive intelligence and secret police agencies to have ever existed. Exhibits on display include the Stasi’s old offices and a variety of bugging devices used to spy on ordinary citizens.

The Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation Centre contains the last piece of the Berlin Wall preserved within its original grounds at Bernauer Strasse, an area situated at the border between East and West and hence a focal point of German post-war history. The facility shows how the border facilities were constructed and imparts to the visitors a lasting impression of the construction that had at one time completely divided a nation. The viewable exhibit in the Documentation Centre shows the 1961 history of the Wall’s construction and the Circumstances of the divided city.

The Panorama offers a visualisation of how mundane, and at the same time how gruesome, living in the shadow of the Wall was. Viewed from a 4-metre-high platform you are immersed in scenes and stories of people going about their everyday lives in the divided Berlin of the 1980s. In an accompanying photo exhibition, private photographs from witnesses of those times showing everyday life with the Wall and scenes from the time when the Wall fell provide a fascinating documentary insight.

Checkpoint Charlie was the best-known border crossing of the division of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. The Checkpoint Charlie Museum shows a comprehensive range of objects and tools people used in their escape out from East Germany: from hot-air balloons, Trabants and even a chairlift. The spot remains a must-see sight in Berlin with huge historical and emotional resonance. The museum contains the best documentation available on many escape attempts from East to West. The original Checkpoint sign, a symbol of the division, is still exhibited here.

The Brandenburg Gate stands as a symbol of both the city's tumultuous past and the present unity. Formerly used to represent the separation of the city between East and West Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate now represents the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent rejoining of the East and West sides of the city.

It was here that the process of sealing off the eastern half of the city began in the early hours of August 13,1961. But it was here, too, that the end of Germany's division was heralded 28 years later. The gate was in construction from 1788 to 1791 according to the plans of Carl Gotthard Langhans. The construction was modelled on the Propylaeum of Athens’ Acropolis. The Brandenburg Gate is a beautiful architectural and historical sight in Berlin, symbolising over two hundred years of history, and is an iconic landmark for students to visit and experience.

The DDR Museum is one of the most visited museums in Berlin. With good reason: the museum deals exclusively with life in the former German Democratic Republic, the permanent exhibition is all about interaction with its motto being ‘history to touch and feel’ with visitors entering 1:20 scale model of a typical GDR prefabricated high-rise estate.

Information and exhibits are stowed away and hidden in drawers, closets and behind doors. The kitchen even still has the cooking smells of the time. It is the only museum, which concentrates on everyday life in the DDR and one of the most interactive museums in the world making it a fantastic learning experience for students.

The prison was established by the Soviets as a detainment camp during the regime. After the closure of this camp in 1946, the cellar was converted into the main Soviet Secret Police for detention and interrogation in East Germany. The Stasi took over the prison in 1951 adding a new building in 1961 and, until 1989 used the site as its main remand centre. Thousands of political prisoners passed through the jail, this included nearly all the figures that opposed the GDR regime. This area was highly restricted and was never allowed to appear on any maps of East Berlin.

Through exhibitions, events and publications the opening of the prison aims to increase awareness of the methods and consequences of political persecution and suppression in the DDR. Former inmates, who provide first-hand details on prison conditions, usually lead tours of the prison and explain the interrogation methods employed during their incarceration.

The Berlin Bunkers area a collection of tunnels and bunkers located deep underground which have played a key role in the city’s history.

Two pre-booked guided tours are available:

• Cold War Nuclear Bunkers: preparations for nuclear war. 1.5 hours
• Under the Berlin Wall: stories of those who tunnelled to freedom. 2 hours

This museum and memorial housed at the Friedrichstraße train station was for so long the crossing point where East Germans said goodbye to visitors going back to West Germany.  Like no other location, the pavilion serves as a reminder of the partition of Germany and of all the fates connected with it. Many individuals were forced to say goodbye to friends and relatives here, while for residents of the East it was a reminder that the crossing was closed to them.   Using films, original objects and documents the Palace of Tears portrays the human effect on of partition on the lives of everyday Germans

The German Spy Museum Berlin gives a unique insight into the gloom of espionage right where the Wall once divided the city.  Set over 3000 square metres, the permanent exhibition will take your group on a journey through the history of espionage, from military intelligence in the two world wars to the height of spy activity during the Cold War, before moving to the contemporary debate over the NSA and Big Data.

With unique artefacts and interactive exhibits from the world of spying, you will be introduced to the methods of the East German Stasi and hear testimony from top agents from the Cold War. Unique multi-media installations explain the importance of data protection and how to deal with Social Networks.  There is even a laser obstacle course to master!

One City – Two Worlds
Berlin, 1985: A bus rolls up to Checkpoint Charlie. The guards are blocking its way. The passengers are travellers to a bygone era – guests of TimeRide Berlin. Modern VR technology makes it possible not only to take a look at history, but to experience it first-hand. During your one-hour stay, you will embark on a unique journey through time. Three exciting stations will take you to the divided Berlin!