Comenius Meeting in Germany
On May 22nd more than 60 international students and teachers from Italy, Spain,
Romania, Turkey, Poland and England arrived at Stuttgart airport. After a short
transfer to Winnenden, students were picked up by their happy host families and
all teachers were brought to a small and neat hotel in a village nearby. The official
program in Winnenden started on May 23rd with a welcome at school and a first
assembly. After some English conversation all visitors and hosts were invited to a
plant visit by the Kärcher company in Winnenden. This company is famous for
high-pressure cleaners and for their water cleaning systems which are used in
emergencies, especially after natural disasters or in dry regions. Inside the factory
students and teachers were informed about the water recycling system of the
factory. Students had the opportunity of doing experiments with dirty water
which they had to clean physically and chemically. Also they were shown the
efficiency of high-pressure cleaners saving more water in comparison to normal
cleaning activities with water hoses and brushes. In the afternoon students did
some water research in a local stream. They got some information on chemical
water analysis, the reasons for pollution and the consequences. In the evening
there was a school festival for all international guests. Parents and teachers
prepared typical German food and did a barbecue. After dinner parents,
international teachers and students had enough time to do conversation and get
to know each other. Many international students played basketball in
international teams or they enjoyed some music in the school disco.
On Saturday, 24th May there was a visit to Wilhelma zoo. This zoo is famous for its
beautiful aquariums and the tropical plants. Teachers and students could study
the different species of fish, tropical plants and of course see all the other
interesting animals. We spent the whole day in the zoo. In the evening there was a
classical concert in Winnenden. Local musicians presented and performed
European works.
On Sunday, 25th May teachers and British students went to the medieval city of
Waiblingen. They were given a guided tour on the history of the city and the
region. Students stayed with their host families and visited local sights and
attractions. The next day we met very early in the morning. At 7.14 am the bus left
at school and took us to Lake Constance. The length of this lake is more than 270
km. About 130 km belong to Germany. The nations bordering at the lake are
Austria and Switzerland. Lake Constance is the most important fresh water
resource of central Europe. It was formed by the Rhine glacier during the ice age.
More than ten thousand years ago settlers came to this place to build houses on
piles at the shore of the lake. They lived on the water to have shelter from wild
animals and enemies. The climate was good and the soil of the region was very
fertile, therefore they settled down and became farmers or fishermen. In
Unteruhlding we visited a reconstructed settlement of these settlers. Divers found
the wooden piles in the water. Geologists and other scientists found out that they
belonged to a very old settlement which was built in the water near the shore.
They also found old wooden boats, tools and jewelry as well as hooks for fishing or
needles made of bones. There were different houses we could enter. In each stilt
house there was a different scenario. Some houses gave information on the
professions of the inhabitants during the Bronze Age. Others visualized daily life or
food production. In the afternoon we went on to the city of Constance where we
did some sightseeing. We came home quite late in the evening. On the next day
we met at school again. After a short introduction to the day’s tasks, we took a
bus to Holzmaden. The region of the Swabian Alb has many layers which contain
well preserved fossils. They are mainly of the Jurassic period. Once there was an
enormous sea in that region. It covered huge parts of Europe. There were many
species of fish and corals as well as ichthyosaurs. In the 180 million years old
Posidonia Shale people found enormous ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and
steneosaurs which were exposed in a museum. After the visit to the museum we
were looking for fossils ourselves. With hammers and chisels we split stones in a
quarry and discovered ammonites and parts of fossilized plants. We had a lot of
fun digging for ammonites. These molluscs are closely related to octopuses and
squid. Everybody tried to find a beautiful stone with fossilized animals. The
Jurassic sea disappeared slowly when the layers in southern Germany were
pushed up and the water flew away. The history of the Jurassic Sea tells us much
about geological and climatic changes and the variety of plants and animals during
this tropical period of time. On Wednesday, 28th May we went to Bad Cannstatt by
train. There is a Mercedes museum close to the Daimler factory. It shows the
history of the car from its beginning to today. In 1886 Gottlieb Daimler invented
the car. With the help of a belt drive the engine was connected to the rear wheels
of the car. Later on engines for boats and planes were also produced in the
Mercedes factory. Today the nearby Daimler AG still produces modern luxury cars.
The museum shows the technological development of engines and cars from
vintage cars to modern formula one racing cars. At the walls of the museum there
were explanations of the different stages of development but also a lot of
information on national history. In the afternoon our guests had the opportunity
of buying souvenirs in Stuttgart. We enjoyed the visit of our foreign friends very
much. Of course they are invited any time the want to come to Germany.
Unfortunately time went by much too fast and our guests had to leave the next
morning. We were very sad when we had to say goodbye.