Enrichment – something to read – The fall of the Berlin Wall

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Mr Kydd

BerlinAll,

I hope that you had a chance over the weekend to see some of the reporting on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was your age when it fell, and it was a time of great hope. If you have missed it, the BBC really did well here, and the following links might help you.

These are all very much worth a look. However, might I suggest that you read the excellent Stalisland by Anna Funder (just £2.00 on Amazon).  The review below neatly sums up a remarkable book.

“In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell; shortly afterwards the two Germanies reunited, and East stalislandGermany ceased to exist. In a country where the headquarters of the secret police can become a museum literally overnight, and one in 50 East Germans were informing on their countrymen and women, there are a thousand stories just waiting to get out. Anna Funder tells extraordinary tales from the underbelly of the former East Germany – she meets Miriam, who as a 16-year-old might have started World War III, visits the man who painted the line which became the Berlin Wall and gets drunk with the legendary ‘Mik Jegger’ of the East, once declared by the authorities to his face to ‘no longer to exist’. Written with wit and literary flair, Stasiland provides a rivetting insight into life behind the wall.”

Enjoy,

Mr Kydd

 

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Know the Standard evening – what does an A* look like in history?

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Mr Kydd

bad-presentation1All,

Many thanks for coming on Thursday. I that there was something that was helpful for you. Click here for the electronic version of my presentation.

Mr Kydd.

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Enrichment – something to read – ancient scrolls charred by Vesuvius could be read once again

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Mr Kydd

3500If you click here you will get to a lovely article in The Guardian, discussing how 2,000 year-old scrolls may now be read. It is a perfect example of how history remains an ever-evolving subject.

“When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79 it destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, their inhabitants and their prized possessions – among them a fine library of scrolls that were carbonised by the searing heat of ash and gas.

But scientists say there may still be hope that the fragile documents can once more be read thanks to an innovative approach involving high-energy x-rays and artificial intelligence.

The two unopened scrolls that will be probed belong to the Institut de France in Paris and are part of an astonishing collection of about 1,800 scrolls that was first discovered in 1752 during excavations of Herculaneum. Together they make up the only known intact library from antiquity, with the majority of the collection now preserved in a museum in Naples.”

Mr Kydd.

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iGCSE enrichment – something to watch – The People’s Century – On the line

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Mr Kydd

Year Ten,

Following on from the snippet that we saw in the lesson on Fordism and the moving assembly line, the whole episode from the People’s Century project. This series tried to tell the history of the Twentieth Century in the words of the people who lived through it.

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Enrichment – History in the news’ – Renia’s diary – discovered after 70 years.

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Mr Kydd

3657If you click here and here you will get to two news reports about the diary of Renia Spiegel. She was an eighteen year old Polish Jew who found herself caught up in the Holocaust. She hoped to become a poet, and it is a heart-breaking read. She describes falling in love for the first time with a boy, and they shared their first kiss just hours before the Nazis reached her home town. She was shot dead in July 1942 at the age of 18 by German soldiers who discovered her hiding in the attic of a house after she had escaped from the ghetto.

Below is her diary entry for 7th June 1942.

Wherever I look, there is bloodshed. Such terrible pogroms. There is killing, murdering. God Almighty, for the umpteenth time I humble myself in front of you, help us, save us! Lord God, let us live, I beg You, I want to live! I’ve experienced so little of life. I don’t want to die. I’m scared of death. It’s all so stupid, so petty, so unimportant, so small. Today I’m worried about being ugly; tomorrow I might stop thinking forever.

Mr Kydd.

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Enrichment – A rivalry in letters. Using contemporary evidence to analyse the relationship between Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Mr Kydd

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If you follow the hyperlinks (part one and part two) you will get to an excellent article from Ryan Hunter exploring what we can learn about the two queens, and their attitudes from their correspondence.

As he suggests, “Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I’s letters to each other were their only sources of communication, and they remain to this day historians’ most insightful and formative sources on the quarter century-long rivalry between the two queens, as they show how Mary and Elizabeth’s relationship changed over time. They reveal fascinating insights into the two cousins and rivals’ personalities, and above all else, their fundamentally different approaches to their respective positions as two queens regnant living on the same isle with a claim to the same throne.”

Hunter divides  the relationship into four phases – have a read, and see if you agree. For those of you that want to push yourself, the full essay A rivalry in Letters can be found on his excellent blog.

Mr Kydd.

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iGCSE enrichment – something to watch – The Rise of the Nazis

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Mr Kydd

p07lrnqhYear Eleven,

Welcome back. Timing is of course everything in life, and as we are starting to explore Weimar and Nazi Germany, the BBC have kindly produced a first rate three-part series exploring the Nazi rise to power in 1930s Germany. It is well worth a watch.

Have a look and see what you think.

Mr Kydd.

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Don’t forget to register to vote.

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Mr Kydd

safe_image.phpAll,

A good summary of why a General Election is almost inevitable this Autumn can be found here . Whatever your politics, just a quick reminder to ensure that you are registered to vote. Click here to do just that.

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Enrichment – something to discuss – are we witnessing Britain’s Reichstag Fire moment?

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Mr Kydd

Screenshot-2019-08-29-at-16.02.14-e1567093260841Welcome back,

Something to debate in History Society. If you click here you will get an excellent essay in Prospect magazine by Richard Evans.

In it he compares the collapse of Weimar Germany to world (and British) contemporary politics.  He argues that “Weimar warns us about what happens when politicians give up on their own parliaments“, and suggests”the ground rules of democratic politics in many countries, including Britain and the US, are more in danger than they have been at any time since the early 1930s“.

  • What are the main strands of his argument?
  • How far do you agree with him?

Mr Kydd.

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Enrichment – places to go. The “Last Supper In Pompeii” exhibition at the Ashmolean.

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Mr Kydd

lastsupperinpompeiiashmoleanI have just booked my tickets for this exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford. I know I am always banging on about education being about intellectual independence, but it is true, and one of the real advantages of living in the South East is our proximity to some of the greatest museums in the world. Last Supper In Pompeii has received outstanding reviews, and the topic is perhaps the greatest archeological site in the world. Entry for you guys is £6.00. Not bad. Try something different, and remember “carpe diem”.

If you click here, then you will get a full and very well written review of the exhibition from the Oxford Student newspaper. I have included an extract below.

The beauty of some of the artefacts on display is excuse enough for you to find the time to experience this exhibition for yourself.

“The Roman world completely surrounds visitors in this exhibition. From backdrops of Italian countryside to sounds of rippling water, the curators have certainly made the effort to add a Roman ambience to the setting of these artefacts. Most of the exhibition is held in a space which incorporates features of a Roman villa. Large doorways and window openings separate different areas of the home, with artefacts subsequently arranged in ‘atrium’, ‘garden’, ‘dining room’ and ‘kitchen’ sections.

The decision to construct separate spaces within this exhibition creates a flow between areas and guides the viewer on a beautiful and informative journey through Roman life. The beauty of some of the artefacts on display is excuse enough for you to find the time to experience this exhibition for yourself. A stunning sea creature mosaic and a richly coloured dining room fresco were some personal highlights of mine.”

Mr Kydd.

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