Berlin on Saturday morning, 19 June...

More Berlin photos can be found at
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058568&id=1009425114&l=a87ef94f0c

The program in Berlin continues to be filled with visits to schools, community centers and museums.  Today, we will visit the contact at Deutsche Bank, and later, a tour of the Bundestag Building.

I look forward to the view from the observation deck of the glass dome above the building.  I hope the rain waits till much later.

Tonight we will attend the Berliner Philharmonic Symphony Concert (it has been years since I have attended a concert) with a program that includes Brahms, Ravel nand Bartok.  The Goethe-Institut has certainly provided us with a full and varied program that allows us to experience so much history and culture.

Yesterday was a busy day that took us to a grundschule (elementary) in the Schoenburg district.  It possesses a playground that had been designed with the input of studnets, teachers and local families.  It is an example of the Grun Macht Schule initiative that tries to redesign school spaces to provide students and faculty with an enivronment that is pleasing, contains natural features and promotes connecting with others and the environment.  After being led on a tour of the school by two lovely young students, our group was divided into two groups to visit classes. 

I visited a music course in which the 5th year students practiced their dances for the end-of-year production.  They later serenaded us with a concert on their instruments.  They were impressive!

We then visited a community center that seeks to provide support for Moms and Dads of the students in the neighborhood.  They students also use the space for afterschool activities, and people of nall ages enjoy the programs they provide.  They fed us a wonderful Middle Eastern lunch of hummus, tabuleh (sic) and kibbe and salads.  It was an uplifting visit.

The next item was, of course, the Public Viewing of the World Cup match between Germany and Serbia (by now, you know the outcome).

The program arranged for space at a pub in Kreuzberg (a very diverse neighborhood), but it was too crowded nand smoky, so I listened from without, enjoying the rise and fall of cheers and jeers as the game proceeded.  I even found an internet cafe, so I called home.

After the game (poor Germany), we arrived at another community organization that focuses on helping the community members negotiate the educational and social services system, along with educational and health care support.

I have appreciated seeing the variety of programs that are designed to assist the members of the local communities. 

I then walked to the Topography of Terror Exhibit which has recently opened on the block on which the perprtrators of destruction of the Nazi regime conducted their evil. 

The exhibit was disturbing and unbelievable - that so much effort, resources, energy and brain power was organized for the destruction of so so many lives and cultures... 

The exhibit space borders a remaining part of the Berlin Wall. 

After the exhibit, I walked north toward the Brandenburg Tor and the Holocaust Memorial. 

I have visited the Memorial before, but not from the direction I walked (from the southeast).  The sun was in the west and the memorial stones cast internetsing and haunting shadows with the late afternoon sunlight. 

I walked among the stones, bringing to mind and prayer my Holocaust Survivor friends and their loved ones whose lives were stolen and destroyed by ignorance and hate.  It was good to see so many people of so many cultures and backgrounds appreciating the memorial...

As I walked back to the hotel (I walked a total of 2.5 miles at least), I was aware of how the history of Germany and Berlin crisscross.  The Brandenburg Tor had a large public viewing platform at its west side and on the east, an area ready for the St. Christopher celebration. 

The Frederick the Great's statue was surrounded by cranes and construction and the gigantic tv screen with advertising. 

The plaza where the Nazis burned books of authors they disrespected contains a below ground memorial of empty bookshelves.  Haunting. 

The Marx and Engels statue sits surrounded by many other important buildings and sites of Germany and Berlin history. 

I finally arrived at the hotel and found a lovely bowl of soup. The weather after 5pm became windy and cooler than we had been enjoying this trip, so the soup hit the spot.

 

Weimar and the Buchenwald Gedenkstatte

More Weimar and Buchenwald photos can be found at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058389&id=1009425114&l=893c6f85f4

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The day in Weimar was both calming and sad - calm as we enjoyed the cultural heritage of Goethe, Schiller and Liszt, and sad to witness the Buchenwald concentration camp and important to recall the horrors and to honor the resistance by the heroes.

BERLIN!

More Berlin photos can be seen at
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058494&id=1009425114&l=1fe41dbdd5

We arrived in Berlin late last evening after the day in Weimar and at Buchenwald Gedenkstätte Memorial. It was a day of culture and a day of sadness and loss, but a good day. I used the internet at the hotel (so schwer) to upload some photos - it took so much time...

The photo of the spires is one in which you can see the spire of the Marienkirche and the Fehernsturm tower.

The next photo was taken at the Federal Foreign Service office where we had our "Germany Today" meeting with Daniel Szabo de Bucs from the Goethe-Institut. He was informative and entertaining.

We then had lunch at a lovely Brasserie near the National Theater and the Huguenot Church.

We took a bus tour of the city with Jorg and Ischa as our guides. We stopped at the Berlin Wall - Mauer Memorial.

The Church of the Reconciliation was destroyed as it was in the middle of the "no man's land" but it has been rebuilt and is a place of quiet sadness.

We also checked out the famous East Side Gallery where many artists used the Western side of the Berlin Wall to express their hopes and dreams.

Gotha and Eisenach's Wartburg Castle

More Gotha and the Wartburg Castle photos can be found at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058203&id=1009425114&l=4b6d6801e2

We had another great day visiting the Klett-Perthes maps and atlases publishing house in Gotha. I had met our host at NCSS many times, so it was cool to see someone I know here!

We walked through the town and up to the Schloss. We traveled on to the Wartburg Castle north of Eisenach, and climbed the many steps to the top of the mount to see the castle and learn its history.

Having been in Marburg and hearing of St. Elisabeth, it was good to be at the Wartburg where she lived after marrying the landgrave Louis.

It was also where Martin Luther hid after the Diet of Worms and translated the Scripture from Greek into German.

The views of the countryside were lovely, and the meal was great. I also saw red hawks and the most unusual white doves which seemed to be trained.

Tomorrow, we travel to Weimar and later on to Berlin. Our weather has been lovely, low humidity and cool mornings and evenings.

Take a look at the video of the countryside surrounding the Wartburg Castle at:

copy and paste this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IwJQhQOGh8

FIRST DAY IN GERMANY - ERFURT IS LOVELY!

More Erfurt photos are at

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058056&id=1009425114&l=cbbf49ea30

We arrived safely, though tired, after the late departure from Washington. Storms delayed our flight, and it was bumpy for much of the first hour and a half. I was able to get some sleep, and landing in Germany was a great way to start our Sunday morning.

We arrived in Erfurt by train, and after unpacking a bit, we ventured out to explore the city. The weather was fantastic, and the sites were well worth the walking and climbing. Tschuss!

TOP Orientation has begun!

We have met one another at the Goethe-Institut Washington DC, enjoyed a lovely meal, and practiced a few important German words and phrases.  I am thrilled to be a part of this group, and excited to be working with other great teachers from so many different parts of the country and working in varied educational settings.   Orientation continues at 10am with departure to Germany at 5:45pm.  Tschuss!

T-Minus 13 hours to flight time!

Here it is, the last evening at home prior to the Goethe TOP trip.  Am I packed?  Half-way, just trying to make copies of passport and tickets, ensuring the netbook has the programs I need, and spending some time with my dear heart, Steve!

I am excited about the program - Goethe has done a fabulous job arranging so many activities and meetings that I will be kept busy and enjoying every minute!

ITINERARY FOR THE STUDY TOUR

I thought you may be interested in our itinerary. I will do my best to keep the blog up to date with photos and commentary.  Gute Reise!

Sunday, June 13 - 07:35 Arrival in Frankfurt on flight LH 419 from Washington

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) for transfer to Erfurt
Hotel Carat
Tel.: 0361 3430-0

Information tour of Erfurt and evening Welcome dinner

Monday, June 14

09:00 THÜRINGER KULTUSMINISTERIUM

Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Federal State of Thuringia www.thueringen.de
Discussion with a representative of the Ministry
Subject: The education system in Thuringia, developments in the field of bilingual education

11:00 Visit a school to attend a class
Afternoon Free time

Tuesday, June 15 - Transfer to Gotha

10:00 KLETT-PERTHES-VERLAG GmbH
Map editing and production www.klett.de
Discussion with a representative of the editorial office
Subject: The latest developments in map editing and production for school material

14:00 Transfer to Eisenach

15:00 Guided tour of the Wartburg, a castle situated on a 1230-foot (410 m) precipice to the
southwest of Eisenach, and overlooking the town, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. In 1999 UNESCO added Wartburg Castle to the World Heritage List as an "Outstanding Monument of the Feudal Period in Central Europe", citing its "Cultural Values of Universal Significance"

Return to Erfurt

Wednesday, June 16 - morning Transfer to Weimar by bus

10:30 GEDENKSTÄTTE BUCHENWALD

Buchenwald Memorial  www.buchenwald.de  tour of the Memorial

Thereafter Visit Goethe’s garden house - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived in this house, which was built in 1709 in the Baroque style, for nearly 50 years until his death in 1832. Goethe’s grandson Walther endowed the house, including its contents and collections, to the State of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach in 1885, and it was opened as a memorial site in 1886

Afternoon Transfer to Berlin

Accommodation:
Hotel Park Inn
Tel.: 030 23890
Fax: 030 23894542

Thursday, June 17
Morning "GERMANY TODAY" - Lecture followed by a Q & A session

13:00 AUSWÄRTIGES AMT - Federal Foreign Office

Lunch at the invitation of the Directorate-General for Culture and Communication

Afternoon Information tour of Berlin

Friday, June 18

09:00 ARBEITSKREIS GRÜN MACHT SCHULE
Advisory service of the Berlin Senate Administration for Education, Youth and Sports http://www.gruen-macht-schule.de/

Discussion with a representative of the initiative
Subject: Environmental projects in schools - strategies and current developments

11:30 DER BEAUFTRAGTE DES SENATS VON BERLIN FÜR

INTEGRATION UND MIGRATION - The Commissioner of the Senate for Issues of Integration and Migration www.berlin.de/lb/intmig
Discussion with a representative of the Commissioner
Subject: Survey of the Senate’s polices on foreigners and integration - strategies and outlook

13:00 Visit the lively multicultural district of Kreuzberg and have lunch at an out door market

16:00 DEUTSCHE BANK
Q110 - The Deutsche Bank of the Future http://www.q110.de/
Guided tour of the building
Introduction to the subject of the banking of the future

Saturday, June 19

10:00 AWO-BEGEGNUNGSZENTRUM KREUZBERG
Multi-ethnic meeting place and educational institution http://www.begegnungszentrum.org/
Discussion with a representative of the institution
Subject: advisory service in the field of migration and integration - tasks and challenges in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district

14:00 DEUTSCHER BUNDESTAG
German Bundestag http://www.bundestag.de/
Guided tour of the Reichstag building with information about the German parliamentary system

Evening Cultural program

Sunday, June 20
Morning Transfer to Essen

Accommodation:
Hotel Mercure Plaza
Tel.: 0201 87858-0
Fax: 0201 87858-700

Afternoon RUHR 2010 - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
http://www.essen-fuer-das-ruhrgebiet.ruhr2010.de/

The Ruhrgebiet is a European Capital of Culture 2010. As an unconventional metropolis in the making, it is on its way to becoming a new heart of Europe. Its motto is “Change through Culture - Culture through Change”. The European Capital of Culture 2010, “Essen for the Ruhrgebiet”, welcomes anyone wanting
to experience the multifaceted transformation of a region from being Europe’s legendary coal and steel region to a new kind of cultural metropolis with many centers.

Monday, June 21
RUHR 2010 - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

10:00 WESTFÄLISCHES LANDESMUSEUM
LWL-Museum für Archäologie
Archaeological Museum of the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) http://www.lwl-landesmuseum-herne.de/  
Exhibition “Of Knights, Castles and Intrigues” - Exhibition about the fascinating world of the Middle Ages in the Ruhr area

14:00 ZECHE ZOLLVEREIN
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, a World Heritage Site http://www.zollverein.de/
Guided tour of the Zeche Zollverein

The Zollverein World Heritage Site - also known as “the world’s most beautiful coal mine” is today the most famous industrial monument and center of the creative industry in the Ruhr area

16:30 RUHR MUSEUM Zollverein A 14
Shaft XII, Coal Washing Plant http://www.ruhrmuseum.de/
The Ruhr Museum has extensive collections on the geology, archaeology, history and photography of the Ruhrgebiet.

Tuesday, June 22
RUHR 2010 - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

10:00 MUSEUM FOLKWANG
Major collection of 19th and 20th century art http://www.museum-folkwang.de/
Guided tour of the exhibition
The Museum Folkwang owes its reputation to its excellent collection of 19th century and classical modern paintings and sculpture, post-1945 art and photography. The architect of the recently re-opened museum is David Chipperfield.

12:30 INNENHAFEN DUISBURG
Duisburg Inner Harbor http://www.innenhafen-portal.de/
Boat tour of Europe’s largest inner harbor with lunch on board

Free time

Wednesday, June 23
Transfer to Herne

09:30 PESTALOZZI GYMNASIUM
Bilingual grammar school  http://www.pestalozzi-gymnasium.herne.de/
Discussion with teachers and pupils Attend a class
Subject: Current developments in bilingual education

14:00 MINISTERIUM FÜR SCHULE UND WEITERBILDUNG DES LANDES NRW
Ministry for Schools and Further Education of the Federal State of North-Rhine/Westphalia
http://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/
Discussion with a representative of the Department of Further Education
Subject: In-service teacher training - challenges and projects

Afternoon Transfer to Frankfurt

Accommodation:
Grand Hotel Dream Frankfurt City
Tel.: 069 2102890-0

Thursday, June 24

09:30 DEUTSCHE BANK AG http://www.db.com/
Film, presentation and discussion with Ms. Frau Corinna Fernando, Communications Deutsche Bank
Subject: Deutsche Bank - A global player

11:00 Film, presentation and discussion with Edith Pürschel, Head of Brand & Corporate Citizenship Strategy
Subject: Corporate Social Responsibility at Deutsche Bank

Afternoon DEUTSCHER FUSSBALL-BUND
German Football Association
Women’s World Cup 2011 Organizing Committee http://www.dfb.de/
Discussion with a representative of the Committee
Subject: Current developments in German women’s football - promoting young talent

Information tour of Frankfurt
Friday, June 25

Morning Transfer to Mainz

10:00 STIFTUNG LESEN

Foundation for the promotion of reading http://www.stiftunglesen.de/
Discussion with a representative of the Foundation
Subject: Encouraging pleasure in reading to promote literacy skills - Presentation of current projects

12:00 GUTENBERG MUSEUM DER STADT MAINZ
Gutenberg Museum - World Museum of Printing http://www.gutenberg-museum.de/
Guided tour of the Museum

Afternoon Boat trip from Bingen to St. Goar
World-famous rocky outcrops. This boat trip transforms the Rhine’s magical past into reality. The steep vineyards, quaint little towns, formidable fortresses and the Lorelei are symbols of a legendary, turbulent past.

Evening Farewell dinner at WEINGUT KRUGER-RUMPF Vineyard restaurant

Links to some of our destinations in Germany!

Links to a few of the great sites we will enjoy!
http://english.gotha.de/

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/eisenach/

http://www.weimar.de/nc/en/tourism/homepage/

http://www.leipzig.de/int/en/

http://iguide.travel/Ruhr

http://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/default_en.php

http://www.essen.de/english/Aktuell_E/PortalAktuell_E.asp?navibereich=eeutd

http://www.germany-tourism.de/

Just two more days till liftoff for the Goethe Institut TOP study tour!

I can hardly believe it is time to pack for the trip to Germany with Goethe! I have been researching our destinations, and I am so excited about the connections to important history and culture...I will certainly be busy documenting all I see and experience, and posting the news and photos here for you to also appreciate.

Next up, the itinerary so you can follow along. Thanks again.