Sightseeing Events
Kreuzberg Walking Tour and Döner Kebab Tasting Tour
For early arrivals on July 11, we’ll embark at 3pm on a tour of Kreuzberg. Once a working class part of town, it became the heart of Berlin’s large Turkish community in the 1960’s-1980’s. Recently, it’s gentrified, but still maintains a large immigrant (and second-generation) population. On this tour, we’ll also sample some of Berlin’s famous Döner Kebabs, which are (in the supreme estimation of your directors) the finest in the world. We’ll explain the different variations on offer and give you some recommendations. We should be able to find an ice cream shop or two along the way.
Prenzlauer Berg Walking Tour
Prenzlauer Berg is one of Berlin’s trendiest neighborhoods, located in a former part of East Berlin. It has a very interesting social history which has been heavily influenced by its geography, as it was adjacent to West Berlin (and thus of course the Berlin Wall) during the Cold War. On the evening of Day 2 (July 13), we’ll have a chance to explore Prenzlauer Berg, and weather permitting, we’ll play the final rounds of the Knockout competition in the Mauerpark (Mauer is the German word for wall) where the Berlin Wall once stood.
Museum Island Visit
Berlin’s Museum Island is home to five world-class museums. On the afternoon of July 13, we will contest the preliminary rounds of the Geography Knockout tournament outside on the island. From 1pm-6pm, students will have a chance to play in the Geography Knockout tournament and visit any two of the five museums on the island that they wish to see. We cannot guarantee everyone’s first choice museum, but should be able to provide at least 2 of your top 3 choices. These include the following:
Alte Nationalgalerie (be sure to check out this geographically-themed exhibition!)
Altes Museum
Bode Museum
Neues Museum
Pergamon Museum (note that the Pergamon Altar is unfortunately closed for renovations, though)
Palaces of Potsdam Tour
The Palaces of Potsdam Tour will take place during the International History Olympiad Opening Ceremonies on the morning of July 15. Students competing in the Olympiad will take part in the Opening Ceremonies and will then have a chance to take this same tour on Day 7 of the Olympiad. On this tour of Berlin’s most famous suburb, participants will have a chance to visit either Sanssouci Palace, where Frederick the Great entertained Voltaire and many other luminaries or the nearby New Palace where Kaiser Wilhelm, among others, resided. Participants will be able to see the other palace from the outside as well as explore the extensive palace grounds.
Mitte Walking Tour
Many of Berlin’s most significant sites (e.g. the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall remains) are located in the Central District of Mitte (literally “Middle” in German). This tour is described in detail on the Olympiad website, though IGB participants will take the exact same tour as well on the morning of July 13.
German Spy Museum / DDR (East Germany) Museum
Students not competing in the International History Olympiad have the option of visiting the German Spy Museum and the DDR (East Germany) Museum during the afternoon of July 16. Students competing in the Olympiad will have the chance to visit these museums later on during the Olympiad. Students not competing in the Simulation will also have an opportunity to visit these museums instead on July 14.
Jewish Museum / German Technology Museum
Students not competing in the International History Olympiad have the option of visiting the Jewish Museum and the German Technology Museum during the afternoon of July 16. Students competing in the Olympiad will have the chance to visit these museums later on during the Olympiad.
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Memorial Museum
Students not competing in the International History Olympiad are still welcome to join the Olympiad students for the day trip to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Memorial Museum on July 18. Further details are listed on the Olympiad website here.
Other IGB World Championships Events
Opening Ceremonies
The Opening Ceremonies of the 2018 International Geography Bee World Championships will be held from 8:30-10:00am on the morning of July 12 at the Hotel Adlon, where students will then take the International Geography Exam. We’ll have a parade of students, some announcements about the week ahead, introduce our staff, and more.
Geography Careers Panel
Now that you have all this geography knowledge, how can you put it to use in your future careers? While scores of jobs require a certain degree of geographic awareness, in this career panel, you’ll get a chance to hear from people whose careers are directly related to geography. Possible panelists include urban planners, tourism and transportation executives, diplomats, cartographers, environmental advocates, and more. This will take place from 7pm-8pm on July 12 at the Hotel Adlon.
Guest Speaker Panel
On the afternoon of July 12, before setting off on the Treasure Hunt, IGB Worlds participants will hear from a speaker or speakers with direct experience in one of the most notable geopolitical developments of the past few years: the ongoing refugee crisis. Germany (especially Berlin), has played a key role as a major destination for many people fleeing Syria in particular, but also other countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. In addition to getting a first-hand account of how the refugee crisis evolved, participants will consider the role that political, cultural, and physical geography have played in shaping refugee flows and routes.
FIFA World Cup Finals
The final match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup coincides with Day 4 of IGB Worlds on July 15. Prior to the start of the final rounds of the Historical Geography Bee, students will have a chance to watch the match. This, of course, is optional – otherwise, students will have the chance to study or hang out at the Berlin Brandenburg International School until the end of the match.
Closing Ceremonies
The Closing Ceremonies of the 2018 International Geography Bee World Championships will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 17 at the Berlin Brandenburg International School. We’ll have awards for the world champions and top finishers, as well as the top country or state in the medals table.
Geography Monstrosity
For students who are not leaving Berlin prior to 8pm on July 17, and who are not participating in International History Olympiad competitions on the afternoon of July 17 once the IGB World Championship Closing Ceremonies conclude, we are offering one final competition (no medals are awarded though). This is an all-geography buzzer quiz tournament called Geography Monstrosity which has been produced for 10 years in the USA. We have contacted this year’s Geo Monstrosity tournament writers and acquired the set to be used in Berlin among those interested in playing. This will be a team event with teams put together from students who are eligible to compete and interested in doing so. Past years’ Geo Monstrosity questions (which are a good study resource for our other IGB World Championships events too) can be found here.