History school trips to Berlin

We can’t wait to show you Berlin from the top of the city’s TV Tower, which soars 368 metres above ground level to show you unparalleled views of Germany’s capital. Built during the DDR era, the TV Tower is also an excellent place to teach students about the reunification of the city after the fall of the Berlin Wall – the tower undergoing a significant symbolic transformation to reflect this change.

One of Berlin’s most iconic sites, the Brandenburg Gate is a neoclassical monument built during the 18th century which holds a wealth of history as a site for major historical events. Now considered as a symbol of unity and peace, the gate is an essential stop on any tour of Berlin – offering an excellent opportunity for students to contemplate the country’s tumultuous history within Europe.

Opened in 2001, this huge museum spreads across two buildings and displays exhibits that document more than two millennia of German-Jewish history. During your visit, students can view the museum’s vast collections, enter the library and develop their understanding in the museum’s Rafael Roth Learning Centre.

Once a border dividing the city in two, the remains of the Berlin Wall are now a symbol of peace and remembrance. At the memorial and documentation centre, let your students uncover the story behind the construction of the wall in 1961 during the Cold War era, and the events that led to its fall in 1991.

One of the most frequently visited sights in Berlin, the Reichstag is the current home of the German parliament and a global symbol of democracy. An excellent excursion for students to learn about German politics both present and past, the Reichstag also houses a walkway inside its glass dome, which spirals to the top of the Reichstag and boasts spectacular panoramic views of Berlin.

Students can learn all about the military commitments of the Western Allies in Germany at this museum, which documents Berlin’s political history from the Second World War until the fall of the USSR. Here, groups can view a British Airlift plane, contemplate moving photographs from the Soviet period in Germany, and visit a guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie. An excellent learning opportunity for students about Germany in the Cold War era.

The most well known crossing between East and West Berlin from the Berlin Wall era, Checkpoint Charlie was used by Allied guards to register members of the American, British and French forces before they crossed into East Berlin. Today, the Checkpoint is a popular sight where your students can have their photo taken with the dressed up “soldiers”, who stand with American flags.

Students can learn all about life in East Germany at this fascinating museum, which encompasses everything from the Berlin Wall and the Stasi to the Cold War. School groups are encouraged to touch, feel and interact with the museum’s interactive features, which we’ve seen boost their understanding of the DDR.

An excursion that we guarantee will excite and captivate your students. At the German Spy Museum, your group will learn about the history and secrets of espionage as they view hundreds of tools of the trade, and take part in several interactive exhibits. We know they’ll love recreating favourite movie scenes in the laser labyrinth and, who knows – maybe you will too.

Located close to Checkpoint Charlie, on the former site of the headquarters of the Gestapo, Topography of Terror is an outdoor history museum that documents the crimes and persecution committed by the Third Reich between 1933 and 1945. With numerous documents, photographs and other material evidence of the terror and crimes that occurred here, we’ve seen school groups stunned by the museum’s permanent exhibition.

Set in the rooms where high-ranking officers plotted the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, the German Resistance Memorial Center pays tribute to those who risked their lives opposing the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945. Here, students will gain perspective through the documented tales of those who spoke against the regime – whether for ideological, religious or military reasons.

Head north by coach from Berlin for about 45 minutes, and you’ll stumble across Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum – one of our must-sees for history students learning about Nazi Germany. Historically one of the largest concentration camps in the country, Sachsenhausen is now a memorial and museum to remember and educate others about the Holocaust. A truly humbling experience.

Located close to Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a moving tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. In total, there are 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights dotted around 19,000 square metres, with paths to allow your students to slowly make their way through and remember the Jews who were persecuted in Europe.

On this tour of Berliner Unterwelten e.V. (Berlin Underworld), expert guides will lead your school group around one of the few remaining bunkers from the Second World War. Here, your students will learn about the life of the average Berlin citizen during air raids from Allied forces, viewing countless artifacts from the war as they walk through the incredible underground labyrinth.

The Palace of Tears is an excellent excursion for school groups who are learning about the division of Germany, featuring original objects, photographs and historical footage from just after the Second World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. In this border-crossing pavilion, students can examine the exhibits to understand the social impact the Cold War had on the daily lives of Berliners, and the process which led to the reunification of the country.

Students can delve into the political system of former East Germany in this museum, which is located in the original Stasi headquarters. Within the labyrinth of buildings, school groups can explore the secret police’s working quarters, which once featured a supermarket, cinema, clinic and more.

Feared throughout Germany for the psychological and physical torture that occurred here, Stasi Prison gained a notorious reputation during the DDR era in East Berlin. Students can learn about Berlin’s dark past as they explore this memorial museum, uncovering tales of the political prisoners that were held here from 1951 to 1989.

Revisit Germany’s darkest times at the Wannsee Conference Centre, where the Nazis met to discuss the Holocaust and plan the genocide of Jewish people across Europe. Here, your students can learn about this criminal meeting through the use of original documents and audiovisual presentations, which demonstrate how antisemitism and racism grew in Germany from the 1920s until the events of the Second World War.

A major cultural and shopping street in Berlin, Friedrichstrasse offers an excellent opportunity for students to discover local goods, practice their language skills with shop owners and do some souvenir shopping. We can’t wait to show it to you!

Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West), or KaDeWe, is an excellent option for some retail therapy during your school trip to Berlin, featuring eight floors of merchandise to appeal to every shopping need. The second largest department store in Europe, the retail giant attracts 40,000 to 50,000 visitors daily, and is easily found on the famous shopping street of Tauentzienstraße.

Treat your group to a couple of hours on Berlin’s most famous and elegant shopping boulevard, where students can search for souvenirs, explore fashion trends and people-watch in cafes. Marked by KaDeWe department store on its eastern end, and luxury boutiques throughout, the street comprises almost five kilometres of retail paradise – the perfect winding-down activity for students after a day of learning.