Politics and Contemporary History students undertake international fieldwork in Berlin

The students on the Commemoration and Memorialisation module were conducting the fieldwork component of their module, where they were tasked with examining how Germany commemorates its past paying special attention to the nineteenth century, Nazi era and the Cold War.  

The five-day visit took students to sites such as Checkpoint Charlie, Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum and the memorial at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.  

By undertaking their projects on site students learn about where the history took place and apply a critical mindset to the way in which the past is presented.  

An unexpected flight cancellation meant support staff at the university had to work hard to get the students home on time and they were re-rooted to the nearby Polish city of Szczecin but thanks to the contributions of staff on site and at home everything went well. 

Dr Nicholas Barnett Programme Leader for the BA (hons) Contemporary History and Politics and BA (hons) politics said: “This intensive experience allows the students to engage with the memory landscape of the city that was the fulcrum of the Twentieth Century.  

“They are able to examine the techniques of some of the world's finest museums and to fully engage with the heritage industry with a view to forging a career pathway.  

“They were a great group of students and despite the wet whether I’m sure many lasting friendships and memories were formed.” 

The Commemoration and Memorialisation module is offered to Level 5 students on the Contemporary History and Politics; Politics; and Contemporary Military and International History programmes.