Adventures in Mitte

After a sunny weekend in Greifswald, we returned to the bustling city of Berlin! Our excursions on Tuesday and Wednesday took us out of Kreuzberg to the district of Mitte. On Tuesday, students got a unique ability to go on a tour of the Reichstag building. The Reichstag is home to the German parliament, the Bundestag. Students learned about the buildings long history from it's creation during the days of the German empire all the way through it's current status as the home of the German legislative branch. Students were able to see how, during the remodeling, international artists were invited to create installations that embodied the ideals of democracy or commemorated some part of the history of the German government and people.

On Wednesday, students continued their exploration of Mitte by going to the Museeninsel, or Museum Island and the Berlin Cathedral, which is the premier protestant church of the city. Students were able to view the beauty of the interior of the Berliner Dom, the crypts of the Hohenzollern Royal Family and go to the roof to see the breathtaking views of the city that the cathedral offered. Students were also able to check out the many museums on the Museeninsel. The Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a variety of exhibitions ranging from Egyptian/Greek/Roman antiquities to paintings and statues from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Bis Bald!

Mike McCloskey