The first hurdle had to be overcome already in the IC. After all, a seat had to be found for everyone, oncoming guests had to be dodged, and the partly modest luggage, which occasionally looked more like a six-week summer vacation, had to be stowed in the racks. This first task was completed rather more than less with bravura. After that, one could concentrate on conversations with one's seat neighbors, music, one's smartphone or a diverse selection of sweets. The year trip had begun.
The newly built Hostel Schulz is located directly at Berlin's Ostbahnhof, close to Alexanderplatz and a perfect starting point for trips to the metropolis by S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Each student received a 5-day ticket immediately upon arrival. As easy as it sounds, for some (students as well as teachers ;) it was not so easy at first to find their way around the unfamiliar timetables of the metropolitan jungle. And so, after moving into the comfortable hostel rooms, at least some of the travelers arrived at the Hohenschönhausen memorial with some delay and an unplanned long S-Bahn ride. In small groups, the students were guided around the grounds by contemporary witnesses for an hour and a half and informed about the events in the former Stasi prison in an interactive and moving conversation; a lasting experience for all participants.
The break after the visit was only short, but was enough for a first dinner and the necessary make-up and changing session before walking to the next item on the program: the large-room disco Matrix. For the first time, to the delight of some, the young Berlin travelers were separated from the adult supervisors; the entire teaching staff present was separated from their protégés by the bouncer even before the entrance and directed into the separate "teachers' lounge". The pupils and students, on the other hand, were now allowed to dance for three hours with several other school classes on three different floors and let the first, very exhausting day come to a festive end. United we went back to the hostel together in the late evening: as expected the long day ended in great tiredness and a quiet first night.
The following three days were a colorful mix of common meal times, cultural program points and some free time, in which the students were allowed to explore the city, always combined with the challenge of finding their way around the public transport schedules.
Together or in smaller groups, they went to the historical museum "Topography of Terror", the concentration camp Sachsenhausen, the wax figure museum "Madame Tussauds", the Dungeon Berlin, the technical museum or the fire department, class photos at the Brandenburg Gate included. In addition, the Bundestag was visited late on Tuesday evening. First, the students were able to listen to a short lecture on the history and political significance of the Bundestag before an exciting tour of the glass dome. The trip ended with a joint bowling evening, which was a lot of fun for both students and teachers.
The return trip to Bad Bentheim began as the outward journey had begun: with the search for places for people and suitcases. The latter were less filled with sweets, but there were one or two pieces of clothing, a huge stuffed unicorn or an even bigger stuffed bear to stow away. On arrival at the Bentheim train station, most of the parents were already waiting for their children, for whom the five days in Berlin largely flew by. The trip to the capital was a great shared experience for all those traveling with them, students and teachers alike!