Forty-one King's Ely Senior pupils spent the first week of their half term in Berlin and Krakow!

The team of Year 11 History students, Mr Colin Currie, Mr James Foster, Ms Helen Briggs, and Mr Andy Thomas started their educational adventure in Berlin, where they headed straight to the Reichstag Building to enjoy stunning views of the capital at night, and an introduction to the inter-war Weimar and Nazi periods.

Mr Currie, Head of History at King's Ely Senior, said: "Over the next few days, we saw many Cold War and Nazi era memorials and museums, including the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the German Resistance Memorial Center, the 1936 Olympic Stadium, and the German Spy Museum. We also enjoyed two fantastic walking tours curated by our excellent guides from Anglia Tours, with the first focusing on the inter-war period, and the second on the Berlin Wall."

After an action-packed few days in Berlin, students and staff then travelled to Krakow by coach. Their first day in the city began with the group completing a walking tour of Kazimierz (Krakow's Jewish Quarter) to explore what life was like before 1939, and gain more insight into the impact of the occupation and its effects on the Jewish community. 

Mr Currie said: "That afternoon, we also travelled to the Wieliczka Salt Mines for a guided tour. We were all astounded by the scale and intricacy of the mines, and the vast underground chapels, salt lakes, and chambers – not to mention, the opportunity to taste salt formed in the mines, which was a one-of-a-kind experience for us all.

"Our last day of the trip was the most significant, as we visited the Auschwitz – Birkenau Concentration Camp complex. It was an undeniably chilling experience which I am sure will be remembered by the group for a long time to come.

"I was so impressed by the resilience and maturity shown by all pupils on the trip – their good humour and positive attitude throughout made it a truly enjoyable experience. I would also like to thank Mr Thomas, Mr Foster, and Ms Briggs for all of their help and support throughout."