GEEO Central Europe Google Earth Presentation

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USA

Today I’d like to share a great experience I had over the break. I traveled to Central Europe through GEEO, a nonprofit that helps educators travel abroad to learn about different cultures and share them with students. I traveled with teachers from across the United States.

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Europe

We traveled across the Atlantic from North America to Europe. Do you see how Europe and Asia share a long land border? Europe is only considered separate from Asia as one of Earth’s seven continents because Europeans—specifically ancient Greeks—created this concept.

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Central Europe

The focus of the two-week program I participated in was Central Europe.

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Berlin

We started our travels in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Berlin is also the largest city in Germany, with a population of about 3.7 million people and over 6 million people in the city’s metropolitan area. (A metropolitan area is a major city plus its suburbs and nearby cities and towns that have significant economic and social ties. [Can you use your city or a nearby city as an example?]) The Berlin metropolitan area is about the same size as Philadelphia or Washington D.C.

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Reichstag

This building is called the Reichstag. It was built in 1894 to house the lower house of the German parliament, similar to the U.S. House of Representatives. After Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Reichstag was burned in a fire. It was damaged even more during World War II and left in ruins until it was fully restored in the 1990s. It is now where the Bundestag (the German Federal Parliament) meets. To many people the Reichstag reflects the entire country of Germany, which has had to rebuild itself in terms of its reputation, culture, and cities following the devastation of the two World Wars and the divisions of the Cold War.

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Holocaust Memorial

Also known as the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe

Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial is dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The Nazis murdered an estimated 17 million people during World War II, approximately six million of whom were Jews. The Nazis targeted groups they considered “subhuman” or “undesirable”—particularly Jews but also Slavs (Russians and Poles), Romanis, people with disabilities, communists, homosexual men, and others based on ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.

The memorial is appropriately huge—almost 5 acres of tall concrete slabs of various heights. It includes a museum about the Holocaust, and the information center contains names of all known Jewish victims.

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Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate was built in the late 18th century as a city gate, later becoming a triumphal arch representing peace. It has played a symbolic role in Berlin’s history.

In 1806, when Napoleon’s army took Berlin, he used the Brandenburg Gate for a triumphal procession and had the statue at the top—the Quadriga—transported to Paris as a sign of victory. The Quadriga was returned in 1814 when Napoleon was defeated. The gate became a Nazi symbol during World War II and was kept closed during the Cold War when the Berlin Wall separated East and West Berlin.

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East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall

After World War II, Germany was divided into East Germany (controlled by the Soviet Union) and West Germany (controlled by the Allies—the U.S., Britain, and France). The Soviet zone surrounded Berlin, but Berlin itself was divided into East Berlin (Soviet-controlled) and West Berlin (part of West Germany). In August 1961, the Soviets built the Berlin Wall to separate East and West Berlin and prevent East Berliners from fleeing west. Between 1961 and 1989, over 100 people were killed trying to cross the Wall.

The Wall stood until November 9, 1989, when East Germany announced citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds climbed the Wall and began tearing it down. The Brandenburg Gate opened on December 22. East and West Germany reunited on October 3, 1990. Many parts were destroyed, but sections remain as Cold War reminders. They’re covered in graffiti art, like this section called the East Side Gallery.

Other signs of the divide remain. Traffic lights differ between East and West Berlin, and street lights at night appear darker and more orange in East Berlin (see this arial nighttime view). This palpable sense of history makes Berlin one of the world’s most unique cities.

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Berlin Cathedral

The beautiful Berlin Cathedral is the largest Protestant church in Germany. According to surveys and church membership data, 26% of Germans are Catholic, 24% are Protestant, and 42% are non-religious or unaffiliated. Germany also has a large immigrant population, especially from Turkey, and about 3.5% of Germans practice Islam.

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Krakow

After we left Berlin, we traveled to Krakow, the second-largest city in Poland. Krakow is a major academic and cultural center in Poland, an important economic hub, and one of the oldest cities in Poland. The city center contains a beautifully-preserved medieval town that was one of the very first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are landmarks or areas designated by the UN for cultural or historical significance. The program conserves sites for future generations.

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Wawel Royal Castle

Krakow was the capital of Poland for several centuries, and the Polish kings were traditionally crowned and buried in Wawel Castle (pronunciation) and cathedral, which were first built in the 11th century. The buildings were constantly being rebuilt and expanded, so it is impossible to pin down an exact date for the current structures.

When the Germans captured Krakow at the beginning of World War II, they made Wawel Castle their headquarters and sent approximately 55,000 Jews from the city to the nearby Auschwitz concentration camp. Krakow was liberated in 1945 by Soviet forces, and after the war, the Soviet-backed Polish government rebuilt Krakow into an industrial and economic center.

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Rynek Główny Square

The Rynek Główny Square (pronunciation) or Main Square in Krakow dates back to the 13th century when it was rebuilt after the Mongols invaded and destroyed the city in 1241. The square is surrounded by historic townhouses and churches, and the center of the square is dominated by the Cloth Hall, which dates back to the Renaissance and was once a major center of international trade. On the right is the Town Hall Tower, on the left is the 14th century St. Mary’s Basilica, and in the top corner is the 11th century Church of St. Adalbert. The square has a lively street life, and it is the location for many annual festivals and celebrations.

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Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

I mentioned Auschwitz a moment ago. Does anyone know what a concentration camp is? It’s a place where people were confined under harsh conditions. They were forced to work, given little food, and had their possessions taken. Many died from illness and starvation, and many were executed or sent to gas chambers. Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp. You have probably heard of Anne Frank—she and her family were sent to Auschwitz.

Auschwitz was not just a prison but an extermination center where over a million people, primarily Jews, were systematically murdered. The camp had three main sections: Auschwitz I (the administrative center), Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the largest extermination camp with gas chambers), and Auschwitz III-Monowitz (a labor camp). Conditions included forced labor, starvation, disease, and brutal medical experiments by Nazi doctors.

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Prague

After leaving Poland, we traveled to the Czech Republic. We visited Prague, the capital, which has about 2.7 million people in its metropolitan area. Like many cities we visited, Prague was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a great power in Central Europe from 1867 to 1918. After being defeated in World War I, the empire was dissolved, and Czechoslovakia emerged as one of the new countries. Czechoslovakia split into two countries in 1993: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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Old Town Square

Prague’s Old Town Square became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The square features a large statue of Jan Hus (pronunciation), a philosopher who he is considered to be one of the first Protestant reformers who had a strong influence on Martin Luther. In 1415, he was burned at the stake for heresy against the Catholic Church.

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Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock

Prague’s Old Town Hall is famous for its astronomical clock, also called the Orloj (pronunciation). It was installed in the Town Hall in 1410 and is the oldest astronomical clock in the world that is still working. Many people gather on the hour to see its impressive display.

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Old New Synagogue

The Old New Synagogue is Europe’s oldest active synagogue and one of the oldest synagogues in the world. It was built in 1260 and has been the main synagogue of the Prague Jewish community for more than 700 years.

It is called the “Old New” Synagogue because when it was built, there was an even older synagogue in Prague, so this one was called the New Synagogue. When newer synagogues were established in Prague in the 16th century, it became known as the Old-New Synagogue.

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Charles Bridge

This is the beautiful stone Charles Bridge, which was built from 1357 to 1402. The bridge is named after King Charles IV who ruled in the mid 14th century when construction of the bridge began. The cobblestone walkway is lined with 30 religious statues of Christian saints, most of which have been replaced by replicas, with the originals on display in the Czech Republic’s National Museum. The bridge has two very distinctive towers at either end that can be climbed to get a view of the city and bridge from above.

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Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral

Prague Castle was the home of Czech Monarchs and Holy Roman Emperors. It dates back to the 9th Century, and today it contains the offices of the President of the Czech Republic. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been declared the largest ancient castle complex in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. One of the largest buildings within the castle complex is St. Vitus Cathedral, a huge gothic-style Catholic cathedral. It is famous for its beautiful rose window that depicts the Bible story of the creation of the world.

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Český Krumlov

After departing Prague, we traveled to Český Krumlov (pronunciation), a small town in southern Czech Republic. The town’s historic center is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its well-preserved Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. The street layout dates back to the Middle Ages, and most of the buildings were built in the 14th through 17th centuries. Here are some beautiful aerial views of Český Krumlov

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Český Krumlov Castle

Český Krumlov Castle is a complex of forty buildings and palaces. It was first built in 1240, but its current Renaissance design dates back to the 16th and 18th centuries. Today, you can tour the castle and its hidden passageways, which are preserved as a museum.

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Vienna

Next, we traveled to Vienna, the capital of Austria. Vienna is well known for its cultural contributions to Europe; it was the home of many classical composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms, as well intellectuals and philosophers like Sigmund Freud.

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St. Stephen’s Cathedral

St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the principal landmark and most important religious building in Vienna. It is famous for the ornate patterns of its tiled roof. The church was first built in 1137, and the tower was added in 1578. (Show your photos, or these photos: Photo 1 | Photo 2 | Photo 3)

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Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg Palace was once the home of the Hapsburgs, the rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The palace is now the residence of the President of Austria.

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Budapest

The final stop of our trip was Budapest, which we traveled to from Vienna by train. Budapest is the capital city of Hungary, which was once half of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Hungary was once a great world power, but it lost much of its territory and influence after World War I.

What is today known as Budapest was once three separate cities: one was called Obuda, another Buda, and the third Pest. They all merged into one city, Budapest, in 1873.

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Hungarian Parliament Building

The Hungarian Parliament meets in this building on the banks of the Danube River in the former “Pest” part of the city. It is the largest building in Hungary and the third largest Parliament building in the world. Construction started in 1885 and was finished in 1904.

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Buda Castle

Buda Castle is located on the other side of the Danube River (in the “Buda” part of the city). It was built in the 14th Century and was once home to the Hungarian royal family. Today, the Hungarian National Gallery and the Hungarian National Museum are located in the castle.