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Home , Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin Cathedral, Bode Museum, DDR Museum, Pergamon Museum, Topography of Terror

BERLIN - LOCATION GUIDE

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Exceptional Tours Expertly Delivered

Our location guide offers you information on the range of visits available in . All visits are selected with your subject and the curriculum in mind, along with the most popular choices for sightseeing, culture and leisure in the area.

The information in your location guide has been provided by our partners in Berlin who have expert on the ground knowledge of the area, combined with advice from education professionals so that the visits and information recommended are the most relevant to meet your learning objectives.

Making Life Easier for You

This location guide is not a catalogue of opening times. Our Tour Experts will design your itinerary with opening times and location in mind so that you can really maximise your time on tour.

Our location guides are designed to give you the information that you really need, including what are the highlights of the visit, location, suitability and educational resources. We’ll give you top tips like when is the best time to go, dress code and extra local knowledge.

Peace of Mind

So that you don’t need to carry additional money around with you we will state in your initial quote letter, which visits are included within your inclusive tour price and if there is anything that can’t be pre-paid we will advise you of the entrance fees so that you know how much money to take along.

You also have the added reassurance that, WST is a member of the STF and our featured visits are all covered as part of our externally verified Safety Management System.

RELGIOUS STUDIES VISITS

Berliner Dom is the is the largest church in the city, and it serves as a vital centre for the Protestant church of . Guided tours are available to learn more about the history of the building and worship today.

Website: www.berlinerdom.de/?lang=en UBahn: Friedrichstrasse

Neue Synagogue Once one of the largest synagogues in the world, it was damaged during and then destroyed during the war. The front section has now been restored and is home to a museum which tells the story of the building and its congregation. Guided tours of the exhibition are available covering Jewish life in Berlin past and present.

Website: www.cjudaicum.de/en SBahn: Oranienburger Straße

House of the Wannsee Conference At the location of the now famous Wannsee Conference of January 1942 the exhibition focuses on the significance of the conference in the process of planning the genocide of European Jews, as well as the involvement of the conference participants and the authorities they represented in the persecution and murder of the Jews.

Top Tip: Request a visit here early as it tends to get booked up well in advance.

Website: www.ghwk.de/engl/kopfengl.htm Location: Approx. 40 minutes coach drive from Central Berlin

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp One of the earliest concentration camps, Sachsenhausen tells the story of its origins, on to life in the camp and then its liberation with a series of exhibitions through the buildings.

Top Tip: We recommend booking a guide from the camp to help you get the most out of your visit.

Website: www.stiftung-bg.de/gums/en/index.htm: Location: Sachsenhausen is usually reached by coach – approx. 40 minutes drive away. Alternatively Sachsenhausen is 45 minutes from central Berlin on the SBahn – Oranienburg Station.

Holocaust Memorial The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of is now a prominent site of remembrance in the centre of Berlin. The memorial can be visited 24 hours and there is also a visitor’s centre open during daytime hours.

Website: www.stiftung-denkmal.de/ UBahn: , Mohrenstrasse or Französische Strasse

Otto Weidt Museum During World War II, visually impaired broom and brush maker Otto Weidt employed many Jews in his workshop. As tensions in the country grew, Weidt endeavoured to protect his mostly blind and deaf employees from persecution and deportation, bribing the , falsifying documents, and eventually hiding a family behind a backless cupboard in one room of his shop. This museum is dedicated to him and is administered by the German Resistance Memorial Centre Foundation. It tells Weidt’s story with archival photos and interviews with some of those he saved.

Website: http://www.museum-blindenwerkstatt.de/en/first-of-all/ UBahn: Weinmeisterstraße

Jewish Museum Highlights include the Shalekhet Fallen Leaves exhibition where 10 000 faces are punched out of steel and distributed on the ground of the Memory Void. Visitors are invited to walk on the faces and listen to the sounds created by the metal sheets, as they clang and rattle against one another. Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman dedicated his artwork not only to Jews killed during the Shoah, but to all victims of violence and war.

Website: www.jmberlin.de/en Ubahn: Hallesches Tor

German Resistance Memorial Centre Located in the Bendler Block where the July Bomb Plot was organised. A commemorative courtyard is dedicated to the memory of the officers executed here on the night of July 20, 1944. The permanent exhibition covers the struggle against and opposition to National Socialism in various forms. This visit is closed on Tuesdays.

Website: www.gdw-berlin.de/en/home/ UBahn: Kurfürstenstraße / Potsdamerplatz

Marienkirche Located in centralBerlin close to . This church dates back to the 13th Century, was origanlly Roman Catholic before converting to Lutheran Protestant during the Protestant . A statue of Martin Luther stands outside the church

Website: Marienkirche Ubahn: Marienkirche

http://marienkirche-berlin.de/

Topography of Terror Located on the site of the former Gestapo HQ this is an exhibition covering the central institutions of the SS and the system of terror.

Website: http://www.topographie.de/en/ UBahn: Potsdamer Platz SBahn: Anhalter Bahnhof

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church This well known Protestant church sits on the Kurfürstendamm. Although the original church was built in the 1890’s it was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. It was rebuilt when the church was part of in 1959, retaining the original steeple and creating a memorial hall on the ground floor. Self guided and guided tours are available here.

Website: http://gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de/page/2/startseite Ubahn: Kurfürstendamm

St Hedwig’s Cathedral Visitors to Berlin have the opportunity to take a guided tour of this Roman Catholic cathedral. Located centrally in Bebelplatz it was the first to be built in after the Protestant Reformantion.

Website: http://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/en/domgemeinde/welcome Ubahn: Französische Strasse

GUIDED WALKING TOURS OF BERLIN

We can arrange a half day guided walking tour to be tailored visits to suit your preferred study theme.

Introductory tour Hidden Berlin & All the Main Sites. Duration 3-4 hrs. Sites included are:

Alexander Platz, , Berliner Dom, Site of Palast der Republic, Bebel Platz, , , Wilhelm Strasse, , Site of Hitler's bunker, Holocaust Memorial, The Reichstag, The New 'Hauptbahnhof', Gate.

Religion Through the Ages in Berlin 4 hrs – Sites included are:

This 4 hour walking tour demonstrates the multi cultural society that Berlin is today. The tour starts at St Mary’s Church near Alexander Platz, where Dr Martin Luther King once spoke, takes in the first synagogue of Berlin and key areas where communities lives and live harmoniously together. An ideal opportunity to discover more about Judaism and Christianity in Berlin from 19th Century to present day.

Jewish Life: Destruction & Rebirth. Duration 3-4 hrs. Sites included are:

The Jewish Quarter, The Otto Weidt Museum for the Blind, Jewish Cemetery, Große Hamburger Str, Gestapo District HQ, Jewish Community Administration Building II/ Memorial, Neue Synagogue, Grunewald train station.

* All the guides for this tour are fluent English speaking Israelis

CULTURAL VISITS

Brandenburg Gate area: See the iconic monuments of 20th Century Berlin including The Reichstag, the , The Victory Column and the Soviet War Memorial. These monuments are usually included in an introductory guided tour.

The Reichstag A guided tour of the is one of the most popular visits in Berlin. It will explain the functions, working methods and composition of parliament whilst also covering the history and architecture of the building. The highlight at the end is the opportunity to visit the famous dome, which has become an iconic image in Berlin and gives a great view of the city.

Website: www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits Ubahn: Stadtmitte, Französische Strasse

Olympic Stadium This stadium was purpose built for the 1936 Olympics and is a great opportunity to view Nazi architecture, surviving virtually untouched in the battle to capture Berlin. The stadium will not be open to visitors on event days so please be ready to be flexible on which day you visit. Groups can take a self guided visit with an audio guide or an English speaking guided tour. From March to October, for an additional charge, you can also go up the bell tower which will give you an excellent view of the interior of the stadium.

Top Tip: The Olympic Stadium is often visited in conjunction with Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, as a full day out of the city centre.

Website: www.-berlin.de UBahn: Olympiastadion

Hohenschönhausen Memorial – Former Political Prison Provides an authentic picture of prison conditions in the GDR. There are two permanent exhibitions, one which shows the fate of children born whilst their mothers were held in prison and one showing the portraits of former inmates.

Website: http://en.stiftung-hsh.de/ Location: It is possible to access Hohenschönhausen Memorial by the M5 tram from central Berlin.

Museum-Haus am Checkpoint Charlie A museum dedicated to the legendary border crossing point, with imagery and exhibitions of attempts to escape to the West, it follows the stories of fugitives and their helpers.

Top Tip: This museum is open until 10.00 pm each night so is an ideal way to keep your students busy one evening and means you can fit more options into your day visits.

Website: www.mauermuseum.de UBahn: Kochstrasse

Asisi Panorama – The Wall Right across from Checkpoint Charlie is a large cylindrical building made of steel. Inside is a fascinating display of life in the vicinity of the wall in divided Berlin during the 1980’s. The display shows the contrast of daily life on both sides of the wall according to the memories of Yadegar Asisi's, who actually lived in in the 1980s. It’s great visit for helping students to understand life on both sides of the wall.

Website: http://www.asisi.de/en/panoramas/the-wall/bildergalerie.html

Berlin Dungeons You will take a journey through 700 years of Berlin’s murky history, as a full cast of theatrical actors bring to life gripping stories of the city’s most infamous characters and events from medieval times to the 1900’s. You’ll see stunning special effects, authentic sets and a host of scary surprises lurking in the Dungeon.

Website: www.thedungeons.com/berlin/en/ Ubahn: Alexanderplatz, Hakeschermarkt

DDR Museum An interactive museum which not only focuses on the politics of , but gives a fascinating insight into what it was like to live in the East. Closed on Mondays.

Top Tip: Free quizzes are available for school groups to download and take around the museum.

Website: www.ddr-museum.de/en/ UBahn: Alexander Platz SBahn:

The Story of Berlin An interactive museum that explores 800 years of Berlin’s history. There are 23 theme rooms equipped with multi-media technology.

Top Tip: A worksheet can be downloaded from the website, in English, for students to fill in as they go round the museum.

Website: www.story-of-berlin.de/ UBahn: Uhland Strasse

TV Tower Located in former , in Alexander Platz, this is Berlin’s highest structure offering fabulous views over the city. The TV Tower can be pre-booked but not pre- paid, this visit must be paid directly on arrival.

Top Tip: The TV Tower is a great option as an evening visit, to see Berlin by night.

Website: www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php UBahn: Alexander Platz

Alexanderplatz The square was once the centre of East Berlin. Since re-unification there’s been a complete redevelopment and now Alexanderplatz is a major sightseeing and shopping area.

Museum Island: A group of museums located in the centre of Berlin on the River :  : 19th Century and from artists such as Monet, Renoir, Cezanne.  Museum: Antiquities, Islamic Art, Middle Eastern Art and objects.  : Home to a collection of sculptures from Byzantium through to the .  The New Museum and The Old Museum: Greek, Roman and Egyptian art.

Eastside Gallery The Berlin Wall is a 1.3km-long section of the wall near the centre of Berlin. Approximately 106 paintings by artists from all over the world cover this memorial for freedom and make it the largest open-air gallery in the world.

UBahn: Warschauerstrasse

Top Tip for Art Galleries: Most galleries stay open late on Thursday evenings, until 10.00 pm, so if you want to get the most out of your time in Berlin and keep them busy in the evenings, this is a great option.

LEISURE

Potsdamer Platz Another redeveloped area of Berlin, this has an ideal central location and is full of shops, cafes and entertainment.

Website: http://potsdamerplatz.de/en/

Sony Centre Located in Potsdamer Platz this is home to the Imax Cinema where you can catch a film in German or English, along with a great selection of cafes and shops. Great for a night out, especially if seeing a film on the giant screen.

Website: www.sonycenter.de/en/home2

Kurfürstendamm This is the main shopping street in Berlin and home to one of Europe’s largest department stores, KaDeWe, with all that a major store offers.

Bowling Berlin has a range of bowling centres throughout the city. Ask us for more information if you wish to book a session

Ritter Sport Colourful Chocoworld (Bunte Schokowelt) Located at the Square, this store offers a unique and varied assortment of items revolving around Ritter Sport chocolate. Chocolate lovers big and small can explore the store’s three floors. The SchokoKreation area allows visitors to create their own favourite chocolate bar.

Tropical Islands Water park An indoor tropical beach with waters slides, lagoons, rapids and wave pools. Great fun and a great place for students to burn off excess energy. This is approx. 1 hours drive from the centre of Berlin.

Website: www.tropical-islands.de/en/visitors.html

RESTAURANTS

Make your evening meal a night out. We can book a variety or restaurants ranging from traditional German, American diners, Italian and Chinese.