Day
1: Arrival at Berlin international airport
On
arrival at Berlin's
Tegel Airport, we will begin our tour with a visit
to Kurfürstendamm boulevard with plenty of shops and cafés,
and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächt- niskirche (Memorial Church)
which was destroyed during WWII and only partly reconstructed
afterwards. We'll then travel to the eastern part of the City,
along the boulevard Unter den Linden which has some of the most
interesting historic buildings in Berlin, like the Zeughaus,
National Opera, Humboldt University and, of course, the Brandenburg
Gate, constructed in 1791 it came to symbolise the division
between the east and the west. Friedrichstrasse has a mixture
of modern buildings and historic facades. The Gendarmen- markt
with it’s two cathedrals and the concert building is one
of the most picturesque places in the city. Tonight we will
celebrate our arrival with a welcome dinner. We'll be based
in Berlin at the Fjord Hotel or similar for 2 nights.
Day
2: Berlin
Today's city tour will special attention to German church history,
the resistance to the Nazis, and the key Bonhoeffer sites. The
tour ends at the Bonhoeffer House, built in 1935 for Dietrich
Bonhoeffer's parents. Hidden here, the manuscript of Bonhoeffer’s
analysis of the German resistance survived the war. On April
5, 1943, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested in this building,
which now houses an exhibition devoted to his works.
After a break, we'll enjoy a very special tour taking you back
to 1963, when John F. Kennedy was in Berlin during the days
of the cold war. This was one of the most significant events
in the history of German-American relations. We'll walk in the
steps of the 35th President of the U.S A , and along the way
visit some of the sights which typify 20th century Berlin: Checkpoint
Charlie, the American - Memorial Library and the Tempelhof Airport.
During the tour, original television and radio footage from
Kennedy’s visit will be played.
Day 3: Berlin - Wroclaw (Poland)
We will begin the day with a sobering visit to the "Memorial
for the murdered Jews of Europe", also known as the "Holocaust
Memorial" - a huge site between the Brandenburger Tor and
Potsdamer Platz with 2,751 concrete pillars.
Next we will visit the Hackesche Höfe. The restoration
of the Hackesche Höfe as a centre of culture and urban
life after the fall of the Wall was a pioneer project that has
since been copied several times. The eight courtyards we walk
through are renowned for the typical Berlin mix of commercial
premises, housing and art. Today they still show the effects
of the Industrial Revolution on people's daily lives. The courtyards,
originally built in Art Nouveau style, have been lavishly restored
but still retain their unique atmosphere.
This afternoon we will travel on to Bonhoeffer’s home
town of Wroclaw in Poland.(350 km), where we will stay in the
Holiday Inn (or similar) for the next 3 nights.
Day
4: Wroclaw
We'll enjoy the medieval beauty of the Rynek (market square)
on our first full day in Poland.The square and many of the streets
around it were designed by city planners in 1241. It was then
and remains till this day one of the largest squares of its
kind in Europe. It’s centre is dominated by the Gothic
Town Hall, one of the most precious historical monuments in
Poland, and a variety of buildings that replaced the original
trading stalls. Also visit the famous Aula Leopoldina, the grand
Baroque ceremonial hall at the University.
A walk through the lovely, and peaceful part of town known as
Ostrow Tumski leads us to an area which is the centre of religious
life. We'll visit the Gothic Church of the Blessed Virgin on
the Sand and continue to the Church of the Holy Cross and to
the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The elaborate portal
of the elegant twin-spired Gothic church is one of the most
valuable medieval artefacts in Wroclaw. The Cathedral suffered
massive damage in WWII, with traces of bullet holes still visible,
and has been meticulously rebuilt since.
The guided tour includes a walk through the “District
of Mutual Respect,”a symbol of tolerance and multi denomination,
which houses a protestant, catholic, and polish-orthodox church
as well as a synagogue. A highlight will be a visit to the house
where Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born. Today it is a small pension
with a garden, where we can have a coffee. We'll meet up with
a member of the local Bonhoeffer-Society, who will stay with
the group during the afternoon and the following day. We'll
join them on a walk to the Old Town and visit the Bonhoeffer-Memorial
near St. Elizabeth's Church.
Day 5: Krzyzowa/ - Swidnica
After breakfast we'll visit the Jewish Cemetery. This is a beautiful
and peaceful place where we can learn about a part of Wroclaw's
history that has all but disappeared. With over 1,200 gravestones
and tombs it is among the best-preserved Jewish cemeteries in
Poland.
We'll
then take an excursion to Krzyzowa (German name is Kreisau)
where between 1942/43 the "Kreisau Circle", a group
of Germans, based at the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf
von Moltke, tried to envision an alternative to Nazism. The
von Moltke family estate at Kreisau was, and still is, the symbolic
centre for this vision of a new democratic and tolerant Germany.
The estate, initially in eastern Germany, now Poland, is the
headquarters of The Kreisau Foundation, devoted to the teaching
of democratic ideals and tolerance. The visit is followed by
a lecture and discussion with experts.
In the afternoon continue on to Swidnica and visit the Church
of Peace (UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites). It was built
in Silesia in the mid-17th century and bears testimony to the
quest for religious freedom. It is a rare expression of Lutheran
ideology in an idiom generally associated with the Catholic
Church. We'll return to Wroclaw for our final night in Poland.
Day
6: Wroclaw, Dresden, Leipzig
We'll
set off early this morning for Leipzig. On route we'll visit
Dresden,
centre of the Baroque movement. Dresden's highlights include
the magnificent palatial buildings around the Theaterplatz and
the Brühl Terraces, and the many art treasures at the state
museums. Today, Dresden offers a unique blend of stunning architecture,
world-famous art collections and great tradition in both music,
and fine art. We'll also enjoy the great natural beauty of the
countryside along the Elbe river, as well as the numerous magnificent
castles and villas. We'll stay in the Hotel Mercure Am Johannisplatz
(or similar) in Leipzig for 2 nights.
Day
7: Leipzig, Eisleben
In
Leipzig we'll visit St. Nicholas’ Church, the home of
the faithful “Pray for Peace” Christians who were
a powerful force in transforming Germany’s East and West.
Another stop is St. Thomas Church, where Luther preached and
introduced the ideas for the Reformation to the people, and
Johann Sebastian Bach performed and directed the world famous
St. Thomas Boys Choir.
In the afternoon we'll take an excursion to Eisleben.
Here we will see the house where Luther was born in 1483 and
where he died in 1546. Another stop on the tour is St. Peter’s
Church where Luther was baptized, and St. Andrews Church where
he preached his last four sermons and where his body was laid
in state. We'll return to Leipzig for a second overnight.
Day
8: Torgau, Wittenberg
The tour continues - off the beaten track - to the small town
of Torgau. During the reformation, the town council closed all
of the cloisters in 1523. After Luther had driven Andreas Karlstadt
(Bodenstein) out of Saxony in 1524, he expelled his followers
in 1529. Martin Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora, is
buried in St. Mary’s Church. Johann Walter, Luther’s
musical advisor and close friend, was the cantor at this church.
He helped put together a new liturgy and composed the music
for many Lutheran hymns. We'll be treated to an organ demonstation
in the Castle Church in Torgau.
In the afternoon we'll travel on to Lutherstadt
Wittenberg. This UNESCO World Heritage site is
full of the original sites where the great historical events
of the Reformation took place. Luther made Wittenberg the centre
of intellectual and spiritual life in Europe. We'll visit the
inspiring Castle Church where Luther posted his 95 Theses. Although
the original door was destroyed, we can see the beautiful replica
made out of bronze. The "Stadt Kirche" is also very
impressive and contains the altar with themes from the Reformation
painted by Lucas Cranach. The next stop is the Lutherhalle (Luther’s
House). Martin Luther first lived here with other Augustinian
Monks and later he raised six children here with his wife, Katharina
von Bora. Today it houses the largest collection of Reformation
artifacts in the world. We'll stay in the Best Western Stadtpalais
(or similar) in Wittenberg.
Day
9: Wittenberg, Potsdam, Berlin
The
tour continues to Potsdam, which is more than 1.000 years old.
Palaces and gardens, parks and lakes combine to form a total
work of art, a charming picture of courtly elegance and Baroque
playfulness. Although the former city centre and the palace
of the Elector Frederick William were badly damaged during the
Second World War, the newer buildings in Sanssouci Park and
in large parts of the city are still vivid reminders of what
used to be. Sanssouci Palace was Frederick the Great’s
summer residence. It was built in 1745 as a pleasure palace
overlooking the vineyard. Within the spacious Sanssouci Park
there are other smaller palace buildings such as the New Chambers,
the Orangerie, the Chinese House and Charlottenhof Palace.
After an afternoon arrival in Berlin enjoy some free time for
shopping at the world famous department store KaDeWe or visit
the Pergamon Museum.
Farewell dinner. One night accommodation in Berlin.
Day
10: Return
Transfer to the airport and departure for the U.S.A.