After finding there wasn’t enough space at the campsite that was our first choice and being led astray by the satellite navigation system in the motor home, we almost gave up on camping within the city limits of Berlin. Thankfully, there was plenty of space at a campsite in Köpenick. With the S-Bahn nearby and the city centre only a few stops away, we were able to see some amazing places around Berlin.
Powerful Learning Experiences
The Wall Museum
The Wall Museum East Side Gallery was a good place to start our tour of Berlin. While much of it was over CJ’s head, Maggie made a lot of connections to books that she has read and understood some of the references to other places we had been. The information, photographs, videos, and layout of the museum provided a solid foundation for us to better understand the significance of the Berlin wall and the harsh realities of living in a divided city and nation. It was an important learning experience for all of us.
The Berlin Holocaust Memorial and Information Centre
Prior to this trip, Maggie had read a few books that were set during WWII and started asking questions about the events that occurred during that time, including the Holocaust. We wanted her to understand what happened and felt she had shown the maturity to read books like Survivor’s Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prinsoner of Auschwitz and The Diary of Anne Frank. After going to Anne Frank Huis in Amsterdam, her desire to understand why and how the Holocaust could happen deepened. The Holocaust Information Centre in Berlin provided another opportunity for us to help her realize how many people were affected in countries around the world.
For CJ, the Information Centre was a starting point for a larger conversation about differences and why people would be so cruel to one another. He asked a few questions, but we filtered much of the information and he didn’t understand all of it. Overall, it was another powerful learning experience that we hope will stick with Maggie as she grows up.
