A large part of the 11.b class took part in an Erasmus+ group mobility to Berlin from 01.06.2023 to 04.06.2023 in order to strengthen cooperation with the Catholic School of Liebfrauen (Katholische Schule Liebfrauen) and to better prepare thematically for the DSD II exam in winter. The purpose of the mobility was to provide students with practical experience in the host country, where they can practice the german language and get out of their class-oriented comfort zone. There was also a program prepared in cooperation with the partner school, which focused on DSD II exam topics, so that students could get input and inspiration for their exam preparation, such as politics, German historical stages and events, sustainability and the climate crisis, interpretation of social issues through art, etc.

Historically, our school has had close ties with the Liebfrauen Catholic School in the past, but these were left behind several years ago when student exchanges took place. But thanks to the Erasmus+ program, we were able to update them and set new goals for the future.

A joint program also started at Liebfrauen Catholic School, where the students of both schools got to know each other, played warm-up games, introduced each other to their school system and Estonia. The German students introduced their historic school building and asked many questions from our students. In the afternoon, they headed together to the Futurium, which is a museum that shows our future possibilities in the field of people, nature and technology. They took part in a guided tour of the museum and enjoyed a great view of the city from their roof terrace. After the Futurium, they went on to see the must-see sights in Berlin, including visiting the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial.

The next day, the Estonian Embassy in Berlin was visited. There, a meeting was arranged with Merit Kopli, an employee of the embassy, who gave a comprehensive overview of her work and the work organization of the embassy. Later, they went together to visit the building of the German Parliament (Reichstag) and the famous dome there, from where a beautiful panoramic view of the city opened. The students learned about the history of the Reichstag-building and what important role it has/had played in Germany at different times. In the evening, the group split into two. Everyone who was interested in art headed to the Neue Nationalgalerie, while those interested in technology visited the DeutschesTechnikmuseum.

The next day began with a visit to the former prison building of the German Democratic Republic's security service - the Stasi, located in Hohenschönhausen. This complex of buildings has been used in many different ways, but most recently it was used as a prison for political prisoners. The complex was closed in 1989 due to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany. Our group was guided by a historian who was able to tell stories about this prison and its history in a very comprehensive and vivid manner and to answer our group's questions. After visiting the prison museum, they visited the art exhibition Dark Matter, which is an installation of light, space and sound that played with different perspectives and realities.

On the last day, there was an day-trip organized to the Teufelsberg mountain, which was created after the Second World War by cleaning up the rubble of Berlin and which was used by the American Secret Service for eavesdropping during the Cold War. It currently houses the world's largest street art exhibition areas, which are constantly being added to. A joint picnic was also held there, where a feedback was gived to the project and program organized. In the afternoon, they visited the Assisi Panorama, which tells the story of the Berlin Wall in detail. After the museum, they also went to the former border crossing point Checkpoint Charlie and the remains of the Berlin Wall on Bernau Street.

The students' impressions: "The purpose of the trip - to learn about Germany (Berlin), German culture and history, to supplement and improve your German language skills - was 100% fulfilled. We got to know our partner school and the students of the partner school, with whom we could practice German. All these experiences give us the opportunity to prepare for the DSD II exams in the future, where knowledge about German politics, culture and life is very important. "

We thank the Estonian Embassy in Berlin and Merit Kopli, Leibfrauen Catholic School teacher Ulrike Stamp and headmaster Markus Keitsch. 

27 students from 11th grade participated from our school with guidence of German teachers Alexander Voss, Aina Saares and Margit Tammekänd.