Through My Eyes, In My Words:

The Open Wall and the New Europe of the 21st Century: Berlin, Prague, and Munich

Taught by Rado Pribic, Oliver Edwin Williams Professor of Languages, and Robert I. Weiner, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of History

Meghan Goodwin of Dresher, Pa., is a double major in A.B. engineering and economics and business. The treasurer and community service chair of Leonardo Society, the A.B. engineering honor society, she is a member of the varsity swimming and golf teams and her teams’ representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority.

By Meghan Goodwin ’06

My interim course in Germany, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Prior to this trip my travel experience had been primarily in South East Asia. This trip to proved to be an excellent cultural addition to my travel experiences.
We began our trip in Berlin, where we visited many significant historical and cultural sites, including the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Soviet War Memorial, Dom Cathedral, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Wansee Conference Center, Jewish Museum, and Reichstag Building. Unique to Berlin was the assorted architecture. The combination of early European architecture, Communist simplicity, and modern designs presented a sense of German Berliner identity.

A bonus in Berlin was celebrating New Year’s. The celebration was spectacular with live music, food, and fireworks. The atmosphere was amazing, and the experience can only be compared to one in Times Square.

From Berlin we traveled by bus to Prague. We visited Prague’s Jewish Quarter, Old Town Square, and Prague Castle. We also spent time viewing the Charles Bridge, Prague’s most famous bridge and tourist site, which is lined with significant statues and connects the two sides of the city.

Our next stop was Krakow, Poland. Like Prague, Krakow is very traditional in style and architecture. We toured Wawel Hill, St. Mary’s Church, and Jewish Quarter. Rynek Glowny, the historic center square, is the most active part of the city, home to a multitude of restaurants, shops and a magnificent outdoors market. On our second day in Krakow, we traveled an hour outside of the city to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau. The walk through both concentration camps brought to life what text books and documentaries cannot.

Our last Eastern Europe stop was a day in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Bratislava, like the other two Eastern European cities, was classical in architecture and culture. Though our stop in Bratislava was short, it was a good rest stop on our three-week trip.

Our final destination was back in Germany, this time in Munich. After spending more than a week in Eastern Europe, Munich seemed culturally shocking – so much more developed. Munich is a more traditional German city than Berlin. No only does everything close much earlier in Munich, but the beer gardens and restaurants served traditional German dishes and played tradition German music. Our open afternoons were spent shopping for souvenirs and enjoying the various museums ranging from science to baroque art.

This trip was a great experience. The opportunity to travel to four different countries was enlightening. I found it amazing that in such a limited region of Europe, I was able to have such different cultural experiences. Not only has this trip enticed me to continue my travels in Europe, but it has opened my mind to other cultures and expanded my sensitivities to those cultures.