On October 28th, a group of ECLA students got the chance to visit the temporary exhibition of works by the famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai at Martin-Gropius-Bau. On display were 440 works out of his oeuvre of 30,000 which were produced over a period of 70 years. His prolific career seemed to be matched by
TagExcursions
ECLA Autumn Excursion: A Reflection
Every autumn term, after the first three palpitating weeks, the ECLA community departs on an annual excursion. And since beginnings are about exploration and searching, every year the autumn trip has a different destination, revealing the sometimes hidden marvels of Germany, bit by bit, town by town. On October 21st, students, along with the members
Their Spirit Longed for War
In the late 19th century, when the German Empire had just been formed, a railway engineer excavated the city of Pergamon in what is modern-day Turkey. There he discovered an ancient sacrificial altar and took it with him to Berlin. Built to represent the Attalid dynasty’s power in the Second century BC, the temple symbolised
ISU Visit To Reichstag And Sanssouci
The second weekend of July marked the official beginning of ECLA’s International Summer University. It was a weekend abounding in novelties with new students trying to get to know each other and going on two trips to kick-start the international summer university on Prussia: Philosophy, Rebellion and the State. What follows is an account of
The Brillo Box Of History
The beginning never ended. Here we stand now and from here we move on. History has shattered. I was brooding on this, when together with other ISU students, I went on a tour of the Berlin Museum of German History—a journey spanning over two thousand years of history, the living ashes of the Phoenix of
Soak Up The Sun
I am about to make a bold claim—that for ECLA’s Italy trip, the experience is much sweeter in hindsight. Our professors warned us that the trip was no spring vacation, and rightly so. I believe I recited several litanies of complaints along the way to Florence and in the city itself: about the inhumane 3a.m.
A Tourist In Florence
A tourist here, a tourist there, there are tourists everywhere. Before going to Florence, just like any other good tourist I researched in detail what the web had to offer about the Italian customs, you know, the little nifty tricks that could save one a euro or two. Some websites recommended having quick breakfasts, coffee
Harz Journey
The winter excursion came to an end with ECLA students dancing to the tune, “Neun und Neunzig Luftballons,” with local Germans in a small town restaurant. The excursion was full of merriment and joy, partly because the students had gotten to know each other so well and partly because of the scenic beauty of the