For our first full day in Berlin, my TOP group and I took the train to the Charlottenburg district. Here we were warmly greeted by Professor Wolf Wagner, a German political scientist and author of several publications on the topics of the German university system, East and West Germans, poverty and culture. To provide us […]
Day 8 – Evening Exploration of the Jewish Quarter in Berlin
After checking into our hotel and a quick dinner nearby several members of our TOP group set off to explore the neighborhood. Our hotel (see link below) was situated direction between the Alexanderplatz train station and the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station. If looking for places to stay, I highly recommend this location. Public transportation is […]
Day 8 – A Tour of the Historic Reichstag Building in Berlin
Day 8 – Reichstag Building Within a few short hours of leaving BMW Leipzig our bus rolled into the outskirts of Berlin. Even from the outside of the city the many changes Berlin has undergone over the years was apparent. Entering through what was the former GDR we passed through various historical buildings, abundant amounts […]
Day 8 – US Consulate General Leipzig and BMW AG Werk Leipzig
Today marked the final leg of our trip where we would leave Leipzig and head to the final destination of Berlin. On our way to Berlin we made several stops including the US Consulate General in Leipzig and the BMW Factory of Leipzig. This week also marked the beginning of record high temperatures in Germany, […]
Day 7 – The Leipzig Forum of Contemporary History
Sundays in Germany are very different from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the week. The majority of stores and businesses are closed, with the exception of a few on the main thoroughfare. The hotel we stayed at in Leipzig had recently just opened (Motel One) and we were fortunate that our hotel […]
Day 6 – Exploring the Churches & Music of Leipzig
With an afternoon on our own, we chose to visit several of the historical churches that not only have played a significant cultural role, but also a historical role in this vibrant city. Our first stop was the St. Nicholas church. From my previous post, you might remember this is where the Peaceful Revolution first […]
Day 6 – The Peaceful Revolution Tour of Leipzig
Our first full day in the city of Leipzig began with a tour following the traces of the “Peaceful Revolution of 1989”. Our walking tour led us through Leipzig’s historical center with Ms. Irmtraud Hollitzer a contemporary witness. The city of Leipzig has been known as a cultural and musical hub for centuries, but has […]
Day 5 – An Evening Exploring Leipzig
Upon arrival in Leipzig we quickly checked into our hotel and spent an evening exploring the city. Leipzig is a large city with over 500,000 citizens and was once a major cultural hub of music in Europe. After WWII, Leipzig was located in the GDR and in 1989 it played a major role in the […]
Day 5 – A School and City Tour of Vacha, Germany
Departing Geisa this morning we headed off to the city of Leipzig. However, on the way to Leipzig, my TOP fellows and I stopped in the nearby town of Vacha, Germany. Here we were given the opportunity to visit the Johann-Gottfried-Seume-Gymnasium of Vacha. This is a 5th-12th grade school located in the heart of the […]
Day 4 – Contemporary Eye Witnesses Interview with Kuk Stroeber
After a short break we met our next contemporary eye witness Mr. Kuk Stroeber. Before I share his story it is importance to mention that neither of our eye witnesses spoke fluent English, therefore, our fantastic tour guide Jörg translated both interviews (a total of three hours of back and forth translating – how impressive)! […]