Tennessee Consortium for International Studies (TnCIS): Traveling - TnCIS in Germany

Germany has long enchanted people from all over the world with images of snowcapped Alpine peaks, intellectual and artistic expression, and political and military prowess. It is the birthplace of hundreds of world-historical figures, including Albert Einstein, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Martin Luther. Today Germany is well known for its leading role in the European Union, its annual Oktoberfest celebration, and its accomplishments in the sport of “soccer” (“football” to non-Americans), as seen by its 2014 World Cup championship.

The program will begin with an eight-day stay in Munich, Germany’s third-largest city and a focal point of some of the country’s most recognizable features, including its people’s attire (Lederhosen and Dirndls) and its food (Schnitzel and Wurst). As the capital of the southern German state of Bavaria, Munich offers a unique blend of history, art, music, architecture, and entertainment. While in Bavaria, the program will also include day excursions to the fairly-tale castle Neuschwanstein and to the Austrian city of Salzburg, home to the famous film “The Sound of Music.” The group will then travel north for a four-day stay in Leipzig, the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig is home to a prestigious university and an astonishingly diverse art, music, and entertainment scene that contribute to the city consistently being ranked one of the best places to live in Europe.

The group will then journey further north for an eight-day stay in Berlin, Germany’s capital and largest city. Berlin offers visitors a fantastic juxtaposition of history and modernity. The city has stood at the center of German political, social, and economic transformation for centuries, including the twentieth-century world wars and the Cold War. It was home to the infamous Berlin Wall from 1961 to 1989 (remnants of which can still be viewed) and currently houses more than one-hundred museums documenting Germany’s tumultuous and extraordinary history. Today Berlin is a thriving metropolis and a world leader in art, music, film, science, technology, and entertainment. In sum, excellent food, myriad of sights, and renowned society and culture welcome an international audience.