European Cultural History Tour - Western Europe

  Germany

• Berlin: 
Berlin
• Munich: 
Munich (Munchen)

Term: Spring, Summer 
Dates: May 20 - June 24, 2010

Description: The European Cultural History Tours are 35- and 70-day tours. There are several options: a tour beginning in London and ending in Munich, one that begins in Zurich and ends in Athens, and a tour that combines both sections. These tours are a completely unique approach to university study abroad which combine visits to major cultural and historical sites with intense academic study of the culture and history being experienced. They are an ideal learning environment because they integrate reading and writing with direct involvement to give a richer understanding of the subject than book learning alone could possibly provide. Travel with experienced faculty and visit more than 20 destinations in England, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and Turkey while earning 6-12 hours of college credit in art and history.

Highlights: Visit London, Paris, Versailles, Chartres, Bacharach, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Munich.

Rhine Valley:

On the Rhine we will visit the romantic town of Rudesheim with its cobblestone streets. Here you may wish to stop at an inn and sample the local wine to the sound of an ethnic band. At Rudesheim we will board a steamer for a cruise on the Rhine River and glide past vineyard-covered hills and cliffs, including the Lorelei Cliff from which, as Heinrich Heine relates, beautiful sirens lured weary sailors to the treacherous rocks. We will spend the night in lodgings with an impressive view overlooking the Rhine, in Bacharach or another small town. From the Rhine Valley we will travel by train to Cologne to visit the Cathedral which dominates the city in all its Gothic splendor.

Our visit to Berlin, the former capital of Brandenburg-Prussia and capital of modern Germany, will give us an unique opportunity to see the historic changes in this city formerly divided by the notorious Berlin Wall. We will visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and see documentation of those who escaped from East Germany, as well as the last vestiges of the Berlin Wall. During our stay in Berlin we plan to visit the Reichstag Building, which once again houses the German Parliament.

Our art professor also will guide us through the many world-class museums of Berlin. We hope to see the Egyptian Museum, which houses a great collection of Egyptian art, with the priceless bust of Nefertiti, the Nationalgalerie, Berlin's museum for modern art, the Gemaldegalerie in its new home, with its valuable collection of Italian, German, Dutch and Flemish art including 26 Rembrandts, and the Pergamon Museum, with the Babylonian Ishtar Gate, the Roman Market Gate of Miletus and the immense and majestic Pergamon Altar.

Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is a cultural center of Germany. Our art professor will take us on a tour of the Alte Pinakothek, famous for works by Dürer, Rubens, Rembrandt, and its large collection of Dutch, French and Italian masters. We will also visit the Neue Pinakothek with works by 18th and 19th century artists and the German Expressionists, the State Gallery of Modern Art with works by Courbet, Cezanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh, and the Glyptothek with its fine collection of classical sculptures.

We also plan to travel to Dachau on the outskirts of Munich, to visit the concentration camp which was established there by Nazi Germany. Evenings will be spent finishing coursework or at leisure.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: 4,498

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Germany in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 25

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Eastern Michigan University's Mission Statement: Eastern Michigan University is committed to excellence in teaching, the extension of knowledge through basic and applied research, and creative and artistic expression. Eastern Michigan University offers a variety of study abroad programs including Cultural History Tours, travel and study tours, direct exchanges, intensive language and winter break programs. Most programs are open to students from any college or university. EMU students can apply financial aid awards toward the programs. We also provide advising and information about study abroad opportunities available through other universities, work or volunteer opportunities abroad and budget travel.

Year Founded: 1849