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written by Aurelia Auracher & Julia Schymura
At the beginning of the summer semester 2017, Prof. Dr. Matthias Zimmer who is a member of the German Bundestag invited our initiative to an educational trip to Berlin, where we stayed from the 9th until 12th April.
On Sunday, nine members of our initiative travelled to Berlin. After the exhausting drama of the journey to Berlin, we went directly to our Hotel to enjoy the rest of the day. Who would have guessed that taking the train could include delays and other interruptions? Our Hotel was located right in the centre of Berlin and was equipped with a gym. One of the members was especially happy about this surprise.
After very refreshing break, exploring Berlin was on our agenda before the regular program of the trip. Our sightseeing-trip started off with German food and Beer which is just mandatory in the capital of Germany. Of course, we couldn’t go to Berlin without seeing the most popular sightseeing-spot which is the “Brandenburger Tor”.
On the next day, we went to the German Bundestag and had the chance to see the parliament. For instance, we experienced the allocation of the political parties and the three special seats for Angela Merkel, Norbert Lammert, and Malu Dreyer. In addition, we learned about the significant history of the Bundestag.
More importantly, we met Mr. Zimmer at the German Bundestag. Prof. Dr. Matthias Zimmer is a member of the Bundestag and chairman of the commission for work and social affairs. Recently, he became a member of the commission of human rights and wrote books about political-science; he knows how it works. During his presentation, we discussed different topics such as current political issues, lobbyism, the upcoming federal election and ways to engage in politics.
Even though we went to Berlin for educational purposes, we did not forget about the evening program which consisted of a get-together to talk especially with our new members, who joined us in the summer semester 2017.
After a short night, our initiative started the day off with a relaxing bus-tour while bringing us to every sight-seeing spots of Berlin like the East-Side Gallery and the monument for the fallen Soviets. Afterwards, we visited the “Stasi”-museum combined with a short presentation. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures. To enjoy the amazing weather, we decided to go on a boat trip on the Spree.
On our last day, we finished our trip with a visit of the Galeries Lafayette as well as the Gendarmenmarkt. In the afternoon, we made our way back to the “most amazing” city where we belong, Frankfurt.
All in all, we are very thankful for the hospitality of Mr. Zimmer. In addition, we are happy to offer such amazing and unique opportunities for our members in order to discuss and debate about political issues more extensively.
Julia Schymura
BSc Business Administation – Management, Philosophy & Economics Intake 2016, FS Economy & Politics
Frankfurt School gGmbH
Adickesallee 32-34
60322 Frankfurt am Main
