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Summer Study Abroad

About Program | Photos | Courses, Costs, & Dates | Contact Info | Info for Accepted Students

Berlin, Germany

June 7 - July 23, 2007
Application Deadline: Open

Director of the Program:
Thomas Ertman, Professor of Sociology

Why NYU in Berlin?

AT NYU IN BERLIN, students experience a cosmopolitan city that holds a complex and crucial place in modern European history. This history ranges from Berlin modernity before World War I through the cultural avant-garde of the golden 1920s-the Weimar Republic—to the epicenter of World War II; from a divided city, symbolizing and incorporating the Cold War, to the reunified and renewed capital. Currently, Berlin is still emerging from the conflicted history of the 20th century, whose secret capital it might be called; it is a city in flux, showing traces of a past that dates back to the Prussian baroque as well as experiments that open out onto the 21st century. Berlin is a construction site not only of whole new districts like the famous Potsdamer Platz but of the cultural profile and complexity of a unified Germany.

Berlin: The City

Berlin has played a central role in European history for over two centuries. For forty years Berlin was a divided city and the fulcrum of the Cold War balance of power. It became a single city when the wall came down in 1989, but it will carry the vestiges of the world's cold war division into East and West for years to come. But the conflicted history of the city dates back further. As the New York Times has said, "No major European city displays its...history more visibly than Berlin." (11 April 1999)

One can encounter this past not just in the city's many museums and in the memories of its inhabitants, but also in its architecture: the palaces of the baroque, rococo and romantic periods, the monumental government buildings and workers' tenements of the Wilhelminian Empire, the modernist structures of the Weimar Republic, the massive ministries and Olympic Stadium of the Third Reich, ruins from World War II, the showcase developments—and the Wall—constructed during the Cold War. Today, Berlin is at a particularly exciting moment of transition, reclaiming its historical role as Germany's capital and as the political, cultural, and economic mediary between Eastern and Western Europe. Massive construction projects reflect this development and offer some of the most exciting new architecture in the world.

Berlin is a thoroughly modern but affordable city with outstanding museums and a lively theatre and music scene; it also has an efficient public transportation system, an international cuisine, and a vibrant nightlife. Furthermore, Berlin is host to the famous Love Parade in July, which attracts more than a million people from all over the world to dance and celebrate. Students are introduced to the rich cultural resources the city has to offer, including activities that range from visits to museums and castles to film screenings, guest lectures, and dramatic and musical performances. Aside from walking and boat tours on Berlin’s many canals and lakes—Berlin has more bridges than Venice—excursions include day trips to Sachsenhausen, to the lovely palace suburb of Potsdam, and to the historical city of Dresden only two hours away. There is also a three-day weekend trip to Prague. In Prague, students can explore the traces of the city’s 1,000-year history. Moreover, Germany’s excellent rail and bus system allows for easy travel to the beautiful islands of the Baltic Sea, to Poland, and to Scandinavia, and the many inexpensive flights from Berlin’s two convenient airports allow students to explore farther afield at minimal cost. Many students who have lived and studied in Berlin consider their time in the city one of the most transforming experiences in their lives.

Facilities

NYU in Berlin is affiliated with Humboldt University, a preeminent university located in the historic heart of Berlin at the avenue Unter den Linden. Classes are taught at facilities of Humboldt University where students have access to the university's computer labs, libraries, and cafeterias.

Housing

All students participating in the program are required to live in NYU-provided apartments. The apartments are located in the city center (Mitte) near the multi-ethnic Kreuzberg neighborhood and are a 25 minute ride by bus and subway from the classrooms. All apartments contain a living room, large kitchen and two single bedrooms (all students will have a private bedroom). In addition, students will be provided with internet access from their apartment (however, students are required to bring their own laptop) and students will be provided with a cell phone for use during the program. All housing is private bedroom in a fully furnished in apartment shared by two students. A linen and towel service is also provided.

Excursions

Aside from excursions in and around the city of Berlin, students take a day trip to Dresden and weekend trips to Dresden and Prague. In Prague, students explore the traces of three cultures—Czech, German, and Jewish—on a three-day weekend. A remarkably preserved city, Prague combines medieval, baroque, and modern influences. Located on the river Vltava, the city's thousand years of architectural and artistic history are reflected in its stone facades and cobblestone streets. Students might visit Kafka's house, the old Jewish cemetery, or just experience the city's lively atmosphere and its contemporary cultural scene.