THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Most students read about the Berlin wall in history classes. But seven lucky ones from Kerala recently had a chance to experience it in real life. The delegation comprised students from various schools in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, who were part of an educational and cultural visit to Germany.
The students -- Aalap Parte, Aditya Sundaresan, Ananthapadmanabhan Bilu, Akshay George Sam, Mehrin Khulsum, Vani Baiju and Zultan Nehan Moulana -- watched how the German parliament Bundestag functions, besides visiting political and historic landmarks of the European nation. The visit was organised by the German language and cultural centre Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum.
The seven students were winners of the first “Model German Parliament” organised by Goethe-Zentrum. The group was led by Vidya Subramanyam, German faculty with Goethe-Zentrum
They explored important historical and political landmarks of the German capital. The highlight, however, was the visit to the Bundestag. The students interacted with Member of Parliament Ralph Brinkhaus and attended a live parliamentary session, gaining direct insight on parliamentary procedures.
“I was extremely surprised that someone at that position gave us his time and talked to us not only about hardcore politics but also about the Bundesliga and how the team from Koehl is his favourite. It was a breath of fresh air to get to see the more humane side of such people,” Aditya said.
“For a student of international politics like me, standing before the Berlin Wall and witnessing the city’s historic architecture in real life felt truly surreal,” said Mehrin.
The students also visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, where they were taken through Germany’s history during the National Socialist period. The delegation also travelled to Frankfurt.
“Germany’s history can be read in books, but experiencing it directly, in real life, tells a completely different story,” said Vani. The programme also encouraged students to document their experiences through interviews, reflections, and media assignments.
“Goethe-Zentrum is extremely elated that this group of students had a highly insightful learning experience of how the multi-party democracy in Germany functions,” said Dr Syed Ibrahim, honorary consul of the Federal Republic of Germany for Kerala.
Through programmes like this, Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum continues to create international learning opportunities that encourage young people from Kerala to engage with global perspectives and active citizenship, Dr Ibrahim added.
Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum is a German language and cultural centre functioning under the Indo-German Language and Cultural Society. It promotes German language learning, intercultural dialogue, youth exchange, and educational collaboration through language courses, cultural programmes, academic initiatives, and international partnerships.