b'Legacy of the Slave Trade The International Slavery Museum inOur visit to the International Slavery Museum Liverpool provides a shocking insight intoallowed us to reflect on the struggle from the slave trade and its impact. We firstAfrican origins to the growth of urban viewed the cultures in Africa that pre-datecommunities and culture in the West. In just the slave trade and saw how diverse Africaover an hour, we travelled from the 18th actually was; the many different forms ofcentury to the present day exploring ideas art, religion and customs are proof thataround slavery and liberation.Africans were not lesser beings. OneStarting with the scale-model replica of a part of the museum displayed physicaltypical plantation within southern America, examples of the torture that slaves had towe were given more perspective on where endure; neck collars, iron masks, bondageslaves would reside as well as how they contraptions, whips and ropes created awere abused. Illustrations of mouth and very unsettling atmosphere. What furtherarm harnesses certainly made me feel a bit emphasised the significance of the slaveuneasy. They were designed by the southern trade was how the prolonged effects of it,white owners to control slaves, acting both even after it was abolished, were so easilyas a physical and psychological punishment. integrated into society. The very anti-blackJumping to the 20th century, I was taken motives depicted in everyday entities suchaback by a KKK outfit. This made my recent as minstrel shows, whitening cream,lessons on civil rights opposition all the more childrens toys and books mirror thosereal and intense in confirming the fact that same ideologies, and these views werethousands of people were willing to wear only suppressed some 20 years ago. Thethis. In contrast, the playlist of popular music exhibition made it clear that these effectsthrough the ages by artists of African descent Our last full day in Berlin! We visited the Olympiastadion, were inevitable; the enslaving of 12.5(available via the headphones provided) and 25th Octoberwhich was built for the 1936 Olympic Games. It million Africans and widespread ideologiesthe preservation of artefacts like tribal masks had retained its original outer ring of stone but been transformed on the inside into a modern 74,475 capacity and stereotyping were never going to beand horns assured me that their culture has stadium and used for athletic events, concerts and Hertha extinguished after the abolition of slavery. survived.Berlin FC. We toured the facilities including the changing Abdussamad Mehdi 13KDR Sid Raii 13BGErooms and the first-class lounges where the press conferences are held, and saw first-hand where Hitler had stood to open the 1936 Olympics.Next was Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in WHAT AN EIFEL! The final day, however, took no explaining Oranienburg. It was used primarily for political prisoners, but in its later life for Jews, Poles and Jehovahs Witnesses at all, and the students streamed into30,000 died here before it was liberated in 1945 by the Europa Park to sample the delights of the Polish army. The visit was very thought-provoking and our In October, an intrepid party of studentsmake something that looked like a fullyregions largest theme park, complete guide explained how the Third Reich brutally treated and and teachers set out for a five-dayfunctioning car. with rollercoasters, water rides and the murdered so many innocent men, women and children who had done nothing wrong apart from being born in the language and cultural trip to the Eifel The subsequent racing down the death- obligatory doughnuts and chips as well wrong place or to the wrong family, or who did not accept National Park in the west of Germany.drop road had us holding our breath, butas quite a few hotdogs. The day flew by Our reward for the longest coach journeysome serious steering by Handsworthsand soon it was time for our final evening known to man was the chocolate-boxwannabe Schumachers averted disasterwith a celebratory Chicken FrankfurterFinally we went to the Berlin Science MuseumDeutsches splendour of one of Germanys mostand day one drew to a successful close. Technikmuseum and looked at the different scientific the ideals of the Nazi Party.unspoilt areas; forest, winding lanes,Phew! or not, for those, like this writer, for whom exhibits as well as the plane, train and automobile traditional beamed houses and a real-lifethey were a cultural step too faryouth hostel. Youth hostel culture is a bigThe next day was another early startcollections on show which were very interesting.thing in Germany, as is isolating yourselfsomething about all the fresh air, maybe We arrived home safe and well, tired and and we headed to the climbing centre forlooking forward to seeing our families in nature. Its hard to know if it was thea morning on the high ropes while someagain. And secretly, very, very happy to Auf wiedersehen!teachers or students who were morepeople went tree-climbing. The studentshave a working internet connection again!shocked by the fact that the only meansshowed real enthusiasm and bravery as of communication with the outside worldthey worked in teams to climb up, up,Huge thanks to Mrs Fiess for organising was a five-mile walk down the road or aup but not away. The afternoon found usthe trip and to Miss Macilwraith, Mr Ward payphone in the (locked) office. No mobilein Monschau, the sort of beautiful littleand Dr Tepe for making it possible.network? No Wi-Fi? Those of us whodGerman town where Sleeping Beauty lived through the 80s looked smug. Nomight have lived if shed managedAlison Harveynews is good news, after all! to escape the castle. The students The next day dawned bright and earlymarvelled at its beauty, as well as and, after a typical German breakfast,its early closing! Shops we assembled in the yard for our teamshutting early in the challenge: making and racing soapboxafternoon so that people carsfollowing German instructionscan enjoy their leisure from German instructors! The boys threwwas a cultural difference themselves into the task with the gusto ofthat took quite a bit of newly employed Audi apprentices, whileexplaining to us Brits, but is we marvelled at their intuitive ability toa way of life in Germany.25'