COLD War history was brought to life for Ringwood students during a visit to Berlin.

Moyles Court School students toured the city over three days to enhance their studies of the Cold War for IGCSE History.

Headteacher Richard Milner-Smith said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for our pupils and being able to visit such a fabulous city and experience the very places they have been studying has helped to reinforce their learning considerably.

“Not only that but being able to understand and empathise with what happened in that city during this period has helped them grow enormously as individuals."

They visited the Bundestag, the Soviet War Memorial, the Brandenburg Gate, the moving memorial to the Jews of Europe, and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which records some personal stories of those who tried to escape from East to West Berlin during the communist era.

Students also got the opportunity to go to the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre and see a preserved section of the Berlin Wall – giving them a fascinating overview of the border systems and methods used to prevent Berliners from crossing from East to West. This was followed by a tour of civil defence shelters and visit to a nuclear bunker deep underground in the heart of the city.

The students also visited the Stasi Prison and learnt about the methods and purpose of interrogation.