Danzig-Austausch – Lloyd Gymnasium Bremerhaven

19. April 202425. April 2024

Danziger Schüler*innen zu Gast in Bremerhaven

4.4.

Near evening, the Polish exchange partners arrived, and we warmly welcomed them. After picking them up, we headed to our school where we had a quiz with various categories, ranging from naming famous German or Polish landmarks to a round of „guess the song“. Following the quiz, we took our Polish exchange partners to their homes.

On our way home, we bought some pizza and enjoyed a lengthy and pleasant conversation. Overall, it was a successful first day, fostering camaraderie and cultural exchange between our groups.

5.4.

Today we spent time in the Klimahaus and learnt about people around the world on 8° longitute. Their ways of life differed imensely but they all told about the impact of climate change.

We also tried to do a team quiz but due to limited internet access only few groups succeeded.

In the afternoon we went shopping for the cooking challenge in the evening. We prepared starters, main courses and deserts in the schoon‘s kitchen and had a lot of fun tasting each others‘ meals! Team red was the evening‘s winner. The prizes were aprons so we could continue our new hobby cooking at home 🙂

Some of the group also went to an icehockey game of the Pinguings who battled for a place in the finals.

6.4.

Our day started at 8 a.m., with meetings at Lloyd Gymnasium. From there we took a bus to Cuxhaven, to the catamaran. There the catamaran dropped off and took us directly to Helgoland. For many of us, the ride, through the swell, was comparable to a roller coaster ride.

Once in Helgoland, it started right away, with the tour. We have learned a lot here, such as that the seals that live on Helgoland are the most dangerous animals in Germany, or that Helgoland has not always been a part of Germany.

During the tour we were able to discover a lot of Helgoland, including going to the beach.

After that, we had free time for ourselves on Helgoland before we went back to Cuxhaven by the catamaran. It was a great trip, and also a new experience for many German students.

7.4.

On sunday we had an amazing family day in the city! We had ice cream in the Mediterraneo which gave the visit a feeling of bella italia before we walked by the dyke and did some shopping. Later, we went bowling with our Polish partners and had a dinner with some delicious burgers. Afterwards we took a walk in the park and showed them around in our neighborhood. In the evening, we enjoyed a scenic tour of the dyke in Imsum and the harbour, what was quite interesting seeing the ships with the lights in the evening. It was a day full of fun, laughter, and new friendships!

8.4.

Today we went to Hamburg and felt our way to the exhibition „Dialogue in the Dark“. It was very weired to feel our way around with stickes and we learnt a lot about the world of the Blind and how depended they are on support.

And when we went back to the train station we met a blind man who asked for help to find a certain address. And we described him how to get there by counting houses and describing their shapes.

9.4.

Today we all Met In front of the main train Station. At around 9:25 we we got on the train and made our way to bremen! As we arrived in bremen we made our way to the town hall on the way there we got to see a lot of bremen and it was quite nice to see the old buildings in the older part of town. There werre also many statues and symbols were a group of two people told us very unteresting and important facts or meaning about it. As we arrived in front of the town hall we went on to the geschichts house were the polish exchange students were first and we german students had free time. Me and my two good fiends went around the city of bremen were we looked around and bought different items after that we went to eat something and its was already time to meet with the people for the exchange. There we actually got to see the town hall from inside and even got a tour in it from tour guide! One part of a building was even 600 years old and is still used to this day by the mayor and senators! After the tour the polish students had their free time and the german students went to the geschichts haus. In the geschichts haus we got to see many people from different times in history it was like going back in time! All in all the geschichts haus wasa very fun and interesting exprience i havent experienced before and the city of bremenb was very fun to explore too. Then it was finally time to go home we got to the main train station of bremen wwaited for the train and drove about 45 minutes to bremerhaven main staion we were at the sation at about 18:45.

10.4.

Heide Park Day! The last day of the exchange 🙁 The park was nearly empty and we enjoyed all attractions several times! We also went in there in ever changeing groups of Polish and German students.

In the evening we had our final dinner together at “La Stalla” an Italian restaurant and told all funny stories of the exchange and planned the last evening without the teachers…

The Polish students gave us chocolate and a picture as a reminder of the lovely time together!

11.4.

Saying goodbye 🙁 But before that we met at the school again and got certificates for the exchange. All winners of the Klimahaus Rallye, the cooking challenge and the pub quiz got their prizes before it was time to go to the train station and hug each other for the last time.

Vielen Dank an das Deutsch-Polnische Jugendwerk für die finanzielle Unterstützung, ohne die unser Programm nicht so vielfältig und abwechslungsreich sein könnte.

Ein Dank gilt ebenfalls Bremerhaven Bus für die Gästetickets und der Reederei Cassen-Eils.

25. September 20235. Oktober 2023

Danzig-Austausch 2023

21.9.: Arrival

Today was our first day in Poland! We met in the morning at the train station and took the train. to Hamburg. After a few times switching the train we were already at the airport. We went through a few security checks and then had to wait a bit for the plane to start. After a few minutes of waiting we could finally get on.

After an about 1 hour long flight we arrived at Danzig, where we were happily greeted. Everyone went with their exchange partner to their home where we met their families.
We spent a few hours at their homes and then all met up at the school to get to know us better. When we arrived there, there was a big circle out of chairs, each with a small notebook, a pen and a few stickers on top.
We then proceeded to play a few games to get to know each other and our names. The first game was saying your name and a thing you like, which the next person had to repeat and say their name and a thing they like, this would go on until everybody said their name.
In the second game we got a piece of paper with a grid. Each space had a thing someone does, for example this person has been on the Eiffel Tower/ has blue eyes etc. We then went around in the circle asking people if they did one of the things and if yes, we wrote their name into the corresponding space of the grid.
At the third game, we all sat down on the floor, one half the polish students and the either half the German students and two teachers held up a veil in the middle. Then one student from each country would sit on the other side when the veil got dropped by the teachers. The first person to say the name of the other person would win.
And at last we all danced a famous Polish dance togheter, the Belgijka. After that we either went home or to the park nearby as a group. We went for a small walk and then all went home and with that finishing the day. (Ferenc)

22.9. Dunes of Leba

We all met at the school, got on the bus and left at 9am. We went to the dunes. we slept through the entire bus ride and arrived at Leba at 10:30. We took golf-ish-carts to the dunes and went for a walk from where we got dropped off. The dunes were really steep so it was kind of exhausting but it was still fun. We got to the top at 11:20 ish. at like 11:30 Mrs Krämer and Mrs Dopp did some gymnastics which was today’s highlight, no doubt. At noon we sat down by the beach and had a picnic. We stayed for a bit and then walked halfway back to a spot were we got picked up by one of those carts which took us back to the bus. We left at 230pm and got dropped off around 4pm from where we went home.

(Janne & Karina)

23.9. Danzig Old Town and Museum of the Second World War

In the morning, we had a guide who showed us the Old Town of Gdańsk. The guide took us to historical places in the Old Town, such as the Old Town Hall. After the guided tour of the Old Town, I went to the top of the Marienkirche, where the view was fabulous! I also went on a Ferris wheel near the Second World War Museum, which I visited afterwards. The Second World War Museum was extremely interesting as it taught us how the war started and what happened during its years from 1939 to 1945.

(Roman)

24.9.23

Today Bennett and I went on a bike trip with our partners. But before that I woke up around 9 am, me and my partner had breakfast. Afterwards I got myself ready for the day and we went to play basketball. Later we went to Zabka and got ourselves something to drink and to eat. We then went to the train station with our bikes and took the train. There we met friends of my partner. Later on, we went to Bennett and his partner. From there we went to a lake on the bike through a forest. When we got back my partner and I ate Kebab. Then we went home and relaxed for some time. His mom then dropped us off at the train station so we could go bowling with the others. After bowling the Polish partners and the Germans went to the beach where we ended the day.

On a sunny Sunday in Poland, I was at Weronika’s house because she’s my exchange partner. Johan is my regular friend and his exchange partner is Wiktor. Together we had a great day. We started with a fun bike ride in the countryside. It was very exhausting but still cool. It also was beautiful and peaceful. At lunchtime, Weronika and me had a delicious meal at Weronika’s house. Her family cooked traditional Polish dishes, and we talked and shared cool stories. In the afternoon, some of us, including Johan, Wiktor, Weronika and me, decided to go bowling. We had a lot of fun trying to get strikes. But it was very hard! In the evening, we went to the beach. The sunset was amazing, and we danced and celebrated with our friends and also with old people, it was very funny. This Sunday in Poland was all about having fun with friends, enjoying good food, and being at the countryside and the beach.

(Johan & Bennett)

25.9. Westerplate and Stutthof

Today we went to the Westerplatte and the Stutthof Concentration Camp. We all first met at the school and at 8:30 the bus drove from the school to the Westernplatte. When we were at the Westernplatte one Polish exchange student told us a bit about it as the place where the second World War started. Then we walked to the memorial of the Westernplatte on the way we also saw a destroyed bunker. Everyone was really impressed. After we walked back to the bus. we continued our tour to Stutthof and as we arrived it was a really weird feeling. At the museum we were separated and the Polish exchange students had their own guide as well as the German exchange students. We went into the barracks were each of them showed another exhibition about the camp how it was build and how the inmates lived there. There was one room with shoes from the people that were hold in the concentration camp and you could realise how scary the camp was. We also saw the oven were the dead bodies were burned and gas chambers. After the museum we watched two films about the concentration camp. The second one was about how the people who worked in the camp and who also torture the people were sentenced and it was shocking that the people didn’t get to be in prison for their rest of their lives. The longest punishment was 7 years in prison. After the film we went back to the bus and drove back to the school were everyone was going now with their exchange students to their home.

(Leonie & Melissa)

26.9.23 Marienburg

Today, we firstly went to class with our exchange students – but only for the first lesson. Then we got into the bus and drove 1.5 hours to the Marienburg Castle, which is the biggest castle of the world made of brick. We formed groups consisting of two German students and one Polish student, got an audio guide and then explored everything on our own. During the three hours we spend at the castle, we also had to answer 30 questions about the building, the past life there and everything else that has to do with it. We’ve been in many of its 130 rooms, looking at all the different exhibits and listening to the interesting information the audio guide told us about. At 13.30, we gave all of our answers to the teachers to correct them because they had promised a little prize to the group with the most correct answers. Then we headed back to school and were able to enjoy our free afternoon, so we for example met others, played some boardgames or visited some other places in Gdansk.

(Fenna & Juna)

27.9.23 Gdynia

Today we visited Gdynia, a smaller city right next to Danzig. We took the S-Bahn (something like a train) to the Migration museum. Our guide Markus told us a lot from topics like where people migrated to to how Poland was divided before and after the Second World War. Gdynia was a very modern city and in the 1920 the most modern city in Poland with luxuries like toilets in every appartment and hot water. And Markus was really proud to tell us that the first underground garage was here in Gdynia. Then we visited a very old apartment complex from the 1920s with a mini museum inside the old bunker. The owner had kept a lot of old everyday items. After that we went to a restaurant and met there with the Polish students. The food in the restaurant was very delicious.

The last evening of our exchange is yet to come.

(Ella)

Wymiana polsko-niemiecka z Bremerhaven

28.9.23 Good Bye

Time flies and it felt like a second ago since our arrival. Thank you for a wonderful week. We can‘t wait until April 2024!

22. September 202226. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch 2022: 20. September

Today we went to Malbork Castle, the largest castle made of brick stones. We took the bus to the castle together with the Polish students. There we were divided into seven groups, each consisting of Polish and German students, Each group received a quiz sheet with 30 questions about the castle, and with the help of teamwork and audio guides we were given 3 hours to look around the entire castle and answer all of the questions. The group with the most correct answers would win a prize. However, 3 hours were very short because the castle is huge! We could enter almost every room, view and learn about many artefacts and hear the story of the people who lived, built and worked in the castle from the 13th century onwards. It was incredibly interesting and fun and the relationships between the Polish and German students was strenghened by teamwork. At the end of trip we went back to school and still had a whole afternoon to spend with our partners and friends.

Vera

19. September 202226. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch 2022: 19. September

Today we went with the student exchange group to the Westerplatte and then to the Stutthof concentration camp. At the Westerplatte we had a short guided tour while Jakub Moraczewski (a Polish exchange student) informed about the events that happened there during the Second World War and actually were the beginning of it. Afterwards, we held a minute’s silence on the Westerplatte for all the victims.

After that we drove on to the Concentration camp Stutthof where we had a tour of the camp and got everything explained. There were many original buildings and things, for example the Gates, barracks or the gas chamber. After the tour we watched a film about what happened to the German soldiers after the liberation of the camp. In conclusion the place was really emotional and it was hard to imagine the things that happened there.

Chantal & Sophie

19. September 202226. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch 2022: 18. September

My host family organised a trip to the Hel Peninsula today. We first visited the seal rescue station. They take care of sick or injured seals until they can return to the sea. It sometimes happens that the seals live with humans for too long and can therefore no longer be released into the sea, as they have become too accustomed to humans. You can then go and visit these seals as they swim around in different swimming pools, being fed and performing tricks. This year, their new personal record was 80 seals rescued, up from just under 50 last year. Before such stations were established and when many fishermen still hunted seals, the number of seals was a few thousand; today the number has risen to around 40,000. Right next to the station is an old church, which was also used as a sentry post and has now been preserved as a museum, which we could not visit, because we did not have enough time. After a longer walk we sat down in a restaurant where we ate 3 different local fish. The restaurant is called „Knajpka Portowa“ and is highly recommended. We finished our walk in the small harbour of the peninsula, where fishing boats go in and out every day. There is also a ferry that goes to Gdansk, but larger ships do not dock in the harbour. On the way home, we stopped at an old fisherman’s house, where original objects used in fishing were still on display. Typical for such houses was that the entrance door led directly into the kitchen and every other room could be entered from there, as the kitchen was the most used room. At that time, the fishermen used washed-up rubbish from the sea, mostly wooden planks from ships, to build their houses. That is why they all had only one storey. The bones of fish or seals were used to make tools for hunting, for example. After the visit to the fishermen’s house, the excursion was over and we went back home.

My host family woke up earlier than me but they waited for me to wake up so we could have breakfast together. For breakfast we had sandwiches and muffins made by me and my exchange partner. For breakfast we also ate desssert, a cake bought from the pastry shop. After dessert we all went to Oliwa Cathedral. Oliwa, Gdańsk Archcathedral is a church in Oliwa, Gdańsk. My family is religious and they go to church every Sunday. The churches in Germany are similar to those in Poland. After that we took a walk in the Oliwa park . Oliwa Park is popular for its Chinese garden, botanical gardens and palm house. For lunch we ate Zurek, a traditional Polish soup. The soup contains meats such as sausages, bacon, or ham, and vegetables. I had the evening meal at home, it was prepared by my exchange partner’s mother. She prepared for us Barszcz czerwony, borscht in the Polish version. My mother often cooks borsch at home and I was excited to try another version of borsch.

Milena & Ilija

18. September 202221. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch 2022: 17. September

First we enjoyed a two-hour guided tour of the old town of Gdansk, which was very informative and enlightening. We were able to learn a lot about the German and Polish past in the inter-war and post-war periods. Our guide also told us a lot about other German tourists who experienced Gdansk at that time, which also had interesting backgrounds.

Afterwards we went to the museum about WW2 in Danzig. We had audio guides telling us about the history of the exponats and just general history. The first thing you saw was a film avout the catalysts of WW2. Afterwards you went through different rooms in which for example the different totalist regims were explained. I found the replicated polish street realy striking because you felt like you traveled into another time. Over all the museum shows the horros of the war realy well and you can almost feel some of the terror the people must have felt back then. Sadly I didn’t have enough time to see the intire museum because we only had 1½ hour. I probably would have needed at least 3 hours but could have spent probably 5 hours. Despite that I found the museum fascinating and would probably go there again with more time.

Judith & Konstantin

17. September 202221. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch 2022: 16. September

The trip to Leba. Today we met at the school at 0845. We travelled with a bus to Leba, which took us 2 hours. In Leba electro busses waited for us and took us to the dunes. The weather was very rainy and there was a lot of wind. We walked in the dunes and to the beach. It was very cold but we had a lot of fun. We saw deers and a fox. Then we took the bus back to Danzig. Afterwards we had free time and in the evening many of us met and spend the rest of the day at the mall.

Mareile & Svea

16. September 202221. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch 2022: Witam!

Am 15. September ist es soweit; 20 Oberstufenschüler werden mit Frau Krämer und Frau Dopp nach Danzig, Polen, fliegen und dort unsere Partnerschule, das 5. Lyzeum besuchen.

Für eine Woche leben die Teilnehmer in Gastfamilien, gehen in die Schule und lernen Danzig und Umgebung kennen.

Arrival and integration meeting

We arrived at the airport in Gdansk around 14 o’clock, where our Polish exchange partners welcomed us with name tags. Then we went home together and met their families. We had some time together until all of us met again at the school. There we started with a few games to get to know each other. In addition, we learned a few dances, for example „Belgijka”, and we had a quiz about the exchange, which was a lot of fun. After that, our exchange partners showed us around their school. When we got back, we had dinner with the whole family, which was delicious. All in all, it was a great first day.

Leona & Lena

25. September 20198. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch: Experiment in Gdynia and Departure

Emilia: Today is our last day in Danzig. We went by train to Gdynia where we visited the Experiment Center. We had a lot of fun being able to experience…

After that the time has come to say goodbye to Poland. We are looking foward to seeing each other again in May 2020!

Time flies… we hope that all flowers, pictures and swords reach their owners sooner or later and that with each thing you unpack you‘ll remember how much fun you had together, how much you enjoyed every bit of the programme and how much you ate 😉

It was a pleasure taking you to Gdansk.

(KRM/SIM)

24. September 20198. September 2022

Danzig-Austausch: Marienburg and Farewell Party

We first met at the school at 8.00am and drove by bus to Marlbork (Marienburg), the journey took us around 1 hour.

After a while we could see the giant, ancient, impressive Castle behind a river.

The castle is the biggest castle made out of bricks in the whole world, after the Second World War it was renewed due to the huge damages from the war.

It’s since been a museum — after hundreds years of being home to the Teutonic Order (Deutscher Ritterorden).

Leni

We learned a lot about how the owners of the castle and all the other inhabitants in the castle lived, their casual life and also about knights and about their battles and about their equipment in those battles and normal life and to whom the castle belonged to in the last centuries.

In the evening we met again at school. There we had a delicious buffet and a disco. We sang karaoke and danced until the floor was moving and the lights in the staff room unter the assembly hall started to shake.