The group met on 23 March at Portland International Airport after being dropped off by parents. Many of the students had never flown without their parents before, so it was a new, interesting experience for them.
Behind this eagle statue, one can see the Chrysler building. The Chrysler building is one of many skyscrapers in New York.
While exploring New York City in small groups, students passed by The Church of St. Mary the Virgin. This beautiful Church was founded in 1868 and is the most prominent Episcopal Church in New York.
This statue can be found alongside the Rockefeller Center, which is a giant shopping center in New York.
In Berlin, students visited the remains of the Berlin Wall. Artists from around the world painted beautiful murals in different styles all over the wall. The wall was to separate the “fascists” from entering East Germany during the Cold War. The wall fell in 1989, but is still partially up to serve as a reminder of the Cold War.
The Neues Museum in Berlin is a beautiful building that is the historic center of Berlin. King Fredrick William IV of Prussia ordered this to be built in 1843.
The Berlin Cathedral, a Protestant institution, is the present collegiate church in Berlin. The Berlin Cathedral is also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish, and can be found on Museum Island.
Like the Neues Museum and the Berlin Cathedral, Brandenburg Gate is found on Museum Island. On the top of the gate you can see Victoria, the goddess of victory, riding on her carriage. After Prussia was captured in 1806 during the War of the Fourth Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte took this statue into Paris. The statue was soon brought back to Berlin after taking it in the war.
In Dresden, students visited the Semperoper Dresden, which is an opera house that hosts ballets and concerts as well as operas. It plays shows almost daily and is a very popular showing spot.
This painting, which depicts the struggles of dealing with a socialist past, is found in the Palace of Culture in Dresden, also known as the Kulturpalast Dresden. This mural is called “Der Weg der roten Fahne,” — The Way of the Red Flag.
This is the Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, which is a Cathedral in Dresden. This Cathedral is one of the foremost landmarks found in Dresden.
“The Girl in the Window Reading a Letter ” was a painting in the Old Mastery’s Picture Gallery. This piece is open for the viewers to create their own interpretation of its meaning.
St. Lawrence (St. Lorenz), located in Nuremberg, is truly a sight to see. This medieval church, built in the 13th century, is visible from nearly everywhere in the town.
In Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the students set out to explore on their own in small groups. These little buildings and shops were scattered around all over the small town.
This small castle in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a very famous sight. The castle is widely described as a real-life fairy tale and is an enchanting place to visit. This statement holds true for the whole town, which gives visitors an almost surreal feeling.
Jesuitenkirche is a Jesuit Church in Heidelberg. It is known as the University Church, and inside, the students were given the opportunity to light candles in prayer and write in the blessing book which people write in to show their gratitude.
The Heidelberg bridge features a statue of a monkey holding a golden bowl, which is a very interactive experience for visitors. According to superstition, to gain wealth, you touch the left hand of the monkey, to come back in the future, you touch the bowl, and to have children in the future, you touch the two little mice found at the left side of the monkey.
Though it is a small town, Heidelberg has many buildings, as shown by this aerial view.
Another angle of Heidelberg shows a small Church towards the right side of the town.
The Heidelberg palace is a huge castle with many parts available to tour. Inside, one can find the giant wine barrel, which is a very famous spot. This castle has attracted almost a million people from all over the world each year since the early 19th century.
During spring break, 18 students from German 2, 3, and 4 traveled to Germany through La Salle’s immersion program.
La Salle’s German immersion trip took place from March 23 to March 31. German teacher and girls tennis coach Mr. David Lane partnered with EF tours, the Education First international touring company, to schedule and execute the trip. He chaperoned alongside Ms. Carie Coleman, Director of STEAM and Design Thinking and Tools teacher.
Before traveling to Germany, there was a last minute flight cancellation due to workers of the Lufthansa airline going on strike, leading the students to spend the day in New York City, with free time to explore Times Square in small groups.
During their time in New York, the students received a tour from a native New Yorker, which made stops at the 9/11 memorial site, Grand Central Train Station, One World Trade Center, and The Statue of Liberty.
From Newark Airport, the students took an eight hour flight and landed in Berlin.
After arriving in Germany, the group began their trip with a tour of Berlin, the capital of Germany. They visited the site where Berlin was split by the Berlin Wall from 1961 to 1989, creating East Germany and West Germany.
The students saw the most famous painting on the Berlin Wall, which was of the iconic kiss between the general of the Soviet Union and the general secretary of the Socialist Unity party captioned “My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love.”
Next, the students traveled to Dresden in their tour bus, which was in use for the entirety of the trip.
In Dresden, the students embarked upon a tour which was spoken entirely in German. This served as an opportunity for them to put their knowledge of the language’s vocabulary and grammar to the test.
After the tour of Dresden, the students went to the Old Masters Picture Gallery. Here the students viewed around 750 paintings from the 15th to the 18th century that are displayed.
On March 27, the group made their way to Munich with a detour into Nuremberg. After a day in Munich, the group traveled to Dachau, located in Southern Germany. Dachau was a concentration camp used in World War II. Students toured the camp for the majority of the day to learn more about the Holocaust.
After Dachau, the class traveled to Rothenburg. Rothenburg was another town in the East German region. This area was more touristy compared to others the students had visited, filled with stands and smaller shops to buy souvenirs.
The last day in Germany was spent in the city of Heidelberg. The Heidelberg castle and the many museums within — including its famous wine barrel, the largest wine barrel in Europe — were free for the students and teachers to explore.
Overall, this trip was an amazing opportunity for German students to bond with their peers and immerse themselves in everything that the German culture and language has to offer.
