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By Josh Tidd and Preston Wood

The 10^th day of the program started with a hearty breakfast at the hotel around 8:00am. We then left the hotel around 8:45am to take a nice walk through the city of Munich to the local bike shop where we rented bikes to take a bike tour through the city.

We started the bike tour in the Marienplatz which is where the FC Bayern München football team were celebrating winning the Bundesliga championship today. In this area we were able to see three different types of churches from different time periods. We then cycled onward to see one of the oldest and most famous taverns in all of Germany, the München Hofbräuhaus. This ancient tavern was built and founded in 1589 by Bavarian Duke Wilhelm the 5^th with the intentions of using it solely as a supply center to supply the Bavarian court with fresh German beer. It was later opened to the public in 1828 by King Ludwig the 1^st.

Our second stop was at the Cuvilliés Theatre which is the national theatre on the Max-Joseph-Platz, a Bavarian opera house. We then were able to bike through the Max-Joseph-Platz and we got to view the different architecture types influenced by different kings such as King Ludwig the 1^st and King Maximilian the 1^st. After viewing the Max-Jospeh-Platz we then moved on to the Haus der Kunst (House of Art) which was formally used to showcase projects of the Nazi regime and spread propaganda. It has since been transformed into a museum for modern art. Our last stop on this bike tour was in the English Garden which is München’s largest park! It is said to be significantly larger than Central Park in New York and although, it is an English Garden designed in the style of an English landscape park it has a Chinese tower located in the center of the park resembling a Chinese pagoda or tiered tower-like structure.

After the bike tour, we walked back towards the hotel through the FC Bayern Munich championship celebration to get lünch. We ate at a place close to Marienplatz that had schnitzel and bratwurst, and it turned out to be pretty solid. We were going to go shopping, but we found out that all the stores in the area were closed on Sunday due to the laws in Germany and many other European countries, so we went back to the hotel to relax. Later in the night we went to dinner with most of the guys and reflected on all the stories we had from the trip before meeting up with the rest of the gang at an Australian pub to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Denver Nuggets in game 7 where the Thunder throttled the Nuggets to solidify their spot in the Western Conference Finals. We ended the day after that and got a nice and solid 4 hours of sleep before our adventure the next morning.

Day 11 was unfortunately our last day in our beautiful host country, Germany. We started our day around 5:00 am to get to the airport around 6:00 am to catch our first flight from München, Germany, to Newark, New Jersey. The flight back went by way faster than the one there. It was quite nice to get the long flight out of the way and to do it during the day as opposed to all night. While tired, by the time we made it to Newark, it felt like the day was still beginning. We said our goodbyes to those of us who weren’t flying back to Columbus with the rest of the group, and then we took the opportunity to relax and get some food at the airport. We had quite a long layover after the first flight, which was nice to chill before the final flight home. Finally, we boarded our flight from Newark, New Jersey, back to Columbus, Ohio. The flight back to Columbus went way faster than we had anticipated and it felt great, finally making it back home after what was an eventful 11 days.

By Zach Sheaffer and Alex Unruh

We began the day heading over to Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich FC. Here we were given an extensive tour taking us through the VIP areas, the locker room, and even letting us walk out onto the field. Walking out on the grass, in my opinion, was the best part of the tour. Here we had the opportunity to feel like the players coming from beneath the ground through a door that opened to the field. The tour guide provided us with a lot of information on how the fans and locals perceive the club. One of the most interesting things we learned is that they are the 2nd biggest club in the world and have, at one point, been the biggest club in the world. We gained a new appreciation for touring the stadium after we found this out. Our tour guide also took us to sit in a sky box where the person who owns it can watch every game luxurious. We were told that it costs $350,000 over multiple years to be able to have one of these boxes. Before this course, we had never toured a soccer stadium or hardly even been to one. We are now leaving Germany having toured the biggest soccer stadium in the country and am very fortunate for this experience.

After we went to Bayern Munich’s fútbol stadium, we hopped on the bus and traveled to Augsburg, Germany. We had tickets to see the FC Augsburg team play FC Union Berlin in Augsburg. The match was quite extensive and had various fan experience elements, which is very different than anything in the US. For example, the opposing fans (Union Berlin) had a caged section where their rowdy fans could cheer and chant. This was an element that we had never seen before as an American. The match ended with Union Berlin winning the game 2-1 in extra time. Some cool aspects of the stadium are the reusable cups that they give when you buy a beverage. On such a beverage, there is a piece of technology that allows for carrying two (or more) beverages at the same time. Overall, it was a tremendous experience.

After a long and eventful day of a tour of Bayern Munich FC’s stadium and going to an FC Augsburg fútbol game, we traveled back to SAP Garden where we had the opportunity to watch a Bayern Munich Basketball playoff game. As soon as you walked into the arena, the atmosphere was electric. The arena set out free red and white shirts for everyone in the arena, staggering red and white stripes, while also handing out sound makers to make the environment extra loud. This, in my opinion, was such a neat experience because of the significance of the game but also touring the entire arena a day before. Soccer is the most popular sport in Europe, and you would have never guessed it after watching this game. The fans at the FC Augsburg game prior were just as passionate about their team spirit as Bayern Munich Basketball. We had the opportunity to watch some former college basketball stars like Shabazz Napier and unfortunately did not get the chance to watch Purdue basketball star Carson Edwards, due to a season ending injury. This was just a great experience getting to watch a European basketball game and take in the passion Germans have for their basketball club.

By Carolina Honaker and Annie McGinnis

Today we traveled from Prague to Munich! We left our hotel in Prague around 9 AM, and our bus ride was about 5 hours through the Czech and German countryside. About halfway to our first stop we stopped at a gas station to get some snacks.

We stopped in Regensburg, Germany around 1:45 PM to go on a walking tour of the town and learn about its unique history. We started off at the church, where Milan measured his shoe and height to see if he is related to the king of Regensburg. Unfortunately, he was too tall. Our tour guide told us about how the citizens would also use the metal poles on the side of the church to measure fabric from merchants, and the merchants would be publicly shamed for a few days in the town square if they gave the wrong size. Then, they would be so embarrassed they would leave town.

From the church, we walked the cobblestone streets lined with colorful buildings, shops, and cafes. We also passed a few shops with traditional German clothing. We learned that the town has 160,000 residents, 30,000 of which are local students. As we walked, we passed by downtown student housing. It is very typical for Regensburg residents to spend their evenings grabbing a bite to eat or a drink with their friends in the streets.

As we were walking through the streets of the town, the tour guide was telling us about the specific architecture of the town. Each house had its own tower which was the cathedral and then the other shorter part was where the residents would live. The richer the person, the higher their tower would be. However, if they lost money then the stones at the top of their tower would be removed so that their houses were losing value. On top of this, they had two kinds of roads: the narrow ones and the wider ones; the wider ones were for the richer people of the town. Also, the wider roads are the only roads that the town allows to have outside cafe and restaurant seating.

Our tour guide showed us a few other notable parts of the town, such as an outside concert venue with great acoustics. Also, we walked past Regensburg’s extremely impressive cathedral that represented gothic architecture design.

We then walked on the bridge over the Danube, which was interestingly the inspiration for the Charles Bridge in Prague. The bridge had a gorgeous view of the Regensburg skyline. Our tour guide told us a tale about why the current is so strong and why the bridge has a curve to it. Supposedly, two artists were competing to see who could finish their artwork first. One made a statue on the bridge and the other was building part of the cathedral. When the builder for the bridge heard this, he made an agreement with the Devil that he would finish the bridge before the other two projects. The Devil said that the first 3 souls to cross the bridge would become his, so the builder sent a rooster, hen, and a dog first. The Devil was so angry that he tried to destroy the bridge, but since it was built so well he couldn’t do it and caused the tides to be very aggressive.

After the tour, we had time to grab lunch, so a few of us bought some German sausages from WurstKuchl. The restaurant was along the Danube, so we sat on the patio and enjoyed our food with a view. The sausages were so yummy!

We continued on our way to Munich. Once we got to the hotel and checked in we all got ready and went to a sushi restaurant called Sushi Xeng. It was delicious Then on our walk home we stopped at a gas station to get some snacks and water before heading back to the hotel where we all hung out for a little and went to bed!

Fun travel day and can’t wait to explore more of Munich!

By Jaquelle Kapland, Sophia Randazza, and Keira Schmock

Our day started by heading over to the Hilton Hotel in Old Town Prague, where we learned about sport diplomacy in the Czech Republic. This information was followed by a sports marketing lecture where we were given different examples of a regular season game with multiple ads on the court versus the Olympics which curates their partnerships with careful selection. Such partnerships include Coca-Cola and Alpine Pro, both of these companies have tremendously improved finanaces and popularity. Our final lecture was given by the head of Marketing and Communication for Czech floorball. He discussed the rise in the sport and how it has become the second largest team sport in the Czech Republic, and ultimately their goal is to turn the game into a full-time profession. Each of the presentations take careful steps to maintain sustainability in their work. The actions taken toward sustainability include recycling, cleaning up crews, promoting clean and sustainable practices. This also includes their sponsorships because they want to decrease their carbon footprint and share sustainable values. We also discussed the idea of sport being neutral, especially in politics. Throughout history sport has been used as a political statement. In our first lecture, we discussed the impact of the South Korena and North Korean womens hockey team coming together to signify the want for unification between the two nations.

Around mid-day we went over to a restaurant named Cacao and indulged in some delicious food outside in the sun. Conveniently so, the restaurant was right next to our next destination which was the Museum of Communism, where we learned about Karl Marx and the way communism took over the country. Not only did it affect the economy, but it affected everyone’s daily life including sports, a unique side that we have not learned about in the United States.

Finally, we had the afternoon to ourselves and we went to Old Town Prague and walked around the quaint stores, and once again visited the Charles Bridge and Astronomical Clock. We were able to try a traditional dessert called a chimony cake. It was delicious. To end off our jam packed day, we went to the Fat Cat and got some tasty burgers and wings.

By Nicholas Mekhitarian and Milan Prevendar

Day 5! Our day was jam packed full of great activities and new experiences in our first full day in Prague. After running late with breakfast and a mix-up with the location of our lecture and tour, we eventually got to Fortuna Arena, home of SK Slavia Praha, the most successful soccer club in the Czech Republic.

We listened to a lecture given by the Technical Director of the Youth Academy for the club. Since Slavia is not a huge name like Manchester United or Real Madrid, their budget is extremely small just due to the size of the country and quality of soccer. Their working budget is 40 million euros which is almost 4x more than the average Czech League team. In this lecture we learned about the budget of the club and how they develop players and make money. The biggest source of income for the club is selling players and the largest expense of the club is buying players. It is extremely smart economically to build players through their youth program and sell them when they become a good prospect at around 20 years old.

After the lecture we were given a tour of this beautiful stadium. What was fascinating about it was the museum and history part of the stadium. There are hundreds of jerseys framed throughout the stadium which was super cool as a soccer fan to be able to see. Also there was a big room focused on the history of not only the club but also the club’s jerseys which have not changed since its founding date.

The stadium has a capacity of around 17,000 which is small compared to American stadiums but every single seat in that stadium had an amazing view of the pitch.

After finishing our stadium tour, we went directly to a walking tour of Prague. The tour started at Prague Castle, where we were able to watch their changing of the guards. This was really interesting to see and drew a big crowd of tourists.

Following the castle, we spent time walking the streets of Prague and learning more information about the history of the city. We had beautiful weather outside and really enjoyed being able to see a lot of Prague.

One of the most interesting facts to me was learning about the history of floods in Prague. There were markers on the walls of some buildings that showed how high the water level had risen to during these floods. The most severe was a flood that occurred in 2002 and killed over 200 people.

Our tour guide recalled the severe damage done to the city during that time. It was also interesting to see the history of the buildings, many of them hundreds of years old. A lot of Berlin was destroyed during World War II, so it offered a large contrast to see a city primarily made up of historical buildings.

We ended our tour at the famous clocktower in Old Town Square. We were able to get there right on the hour and hear it ring. In the evening, we went out for a group dinner. It was great to be able to have a dinner with the entire group all in one place.

By Brian Ederer and Bryan King

Day 4 started off at 9:15 and we packed our bags and checked out of the hotel. We took the bus and headed a bit outside the city for two lectures, one on the topic of the Olympics in Germany and one on the topic of a sports club in Berlin titled Landessportburo.

Our first lecture was led by Stefan Lachenmayr from the German Olympic Sports Confederation and focused on the possibility of Germany hosting a future Summer Olympics. He walked us through the Olympic bid process and the various challenges and roadblocks involved. We learned about the extensive requirements for hosting the Games, and how in recent years, it has become more realistic for individual cities, rather than entire countries, to submit bids. Cities like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg have all explored the possibility of hosting the Olympics. The lecture was both informative and engaging, and we came away with a much deeper understanding of what goes into such a major international event.

The second lecture of the day was presented by Jana Olesen from the Landessportburo (State Sports Office) Berlin. She discussed the structure of club sports in Berlin, explaining how they are organized from the federal level down to the state and city levels. She also shared information about the services and events provided by the Landessportburo. One particularly interesting point was how affordable it is to participate in club sports in Berlin, memberships can cost as little as 10 euros per month, which is significantly cheaper than in the United States. However, this affordability comes with challenges, such as difficulties in securing enough funding to maintain and update sports facilities. Another fascinating detail was the system’s heavy reliance on volunteers, with over 60,000 people supporting club sports operations across Berlin.

Overall, both of today’s lectures were incredibly informative, and we gained a deeper understanding of the role sports play in German life.

After Jana’s lecture, we boarded the bus for our four-hour drive to Prague, our next stop on the trip. The long ride gave us a chance to rest and enjoy scenic views of the beautiful Czech countryside. Once we arrived and checked in at the hotel, we had some free time to explore the city and try some traditional Czech cuisine. Among the local dishes we enjoyed were roasted duck, beef tenderloin, and beef goulash. While today was relatively relaxed, we’re excited to continue exploring Prague and see what the city has to offer.

By Caroline Burns and Reese Hurlebaus

Day 3 started bright and early at 6 in the morning, as we had the opportunity to volunteer at a road running competition. The competition was held at the Olympic Stadium and consisted of a 5K, 10K, 25K, kids race and a half marathon. As volunteers we helped run the race and it helped us gain an inside of what running a sporting event was like in Germany. It was cool to experience the races and cheer the runners on as they worked hard to be there! We all got to wear and rock these vests and hats for the races.

Following our volunteer experience, we traveled to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. We had an incredible tour guide who gave us a thorough history and background of Germany history and concentration camps during the Nazi Regime in Germany. When we arrived at the concentration camp, we looked around the visitor center before making our way into the camp. Below is the main gate of the concentration camp where prisoners would enter. At the main gate there is a saying when you enter, pictured below, “Arbeit macht frei”, meaning “work sets you free”. This saying was on the main gate to convince prisoners of this camp that if they worked hard, they would eventually be set free, which was untrue.

After we entered through the main gate, there was an open area with grass fields, buildings and areas with rocks, to show where the barracks were in the past as memorials. Our tour guide also drew our attention to the barbed wire fencing and watch tower, where a machine gun was held. These both emphasized how strict life was in the camps and how difficult it would have been to escape. Not only were there physical boundaries, but our tour guide also discussed how mentally hard these camps were. The prisoners would be psychologically tricked so they wouldn’t attempt to escape.

Seen in the images below, we were able to see part of the barracks where the prisoners would sleep and their living conditions. This allowed us to picture what their daily lives might have been like. We were also able to tour one of the buildings where prisoners were isolated and tortured alone. An image of one of these cells is pictured below. It was incredibly sad and difficult to see how poor their living conditions were, for example, the beds barely had any cushion.

It was a very impactful and emotional tour, as we were walking on grounds with so much history. After the tour, we had the rest of the evening free to continue exploring Berlin for our last night before traveling to Prague the next day.

By Laney Simons and Hanna Hogan

Today, we toured the 1936 Berlin Olympic Stadium. It was originally a horse racing track before Berlin was selected for the 1936 Olympics. The Nazis converted the equestrian area to a colosseum style stadium which at the time seated up to 100,000 people. World renowned athletes, such as Jesse Owens, competed at these Olympics, which the Nazis intended to use as propaganda for the prosperity of Germany.

This picture displays a room underneath the Olympic Stadium, which contains a 100-meter track for athletes to warm up and a conference room for media interviews. Pictured above is the podium where athletes are interviewed by the media.

This is a view from the luxury seats in the stadium, where many important officials sat for the 1936 Olympic Games. This is also the home field for Hertha BSC, the local club football team. This field also has many other purposes, including hosting concerts and an NFL game for the upcoming regular season.

Our tour guide took us to the floor dedicated to a special athlete from the 1936 Olympic Games. Jesse Owens was a standout during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and represented Team USA and The Ohio State University very well. He won four gold medals and is considered one of the best track athletes of all time. In the stadium, they have a designated floor, called “Jesse Owens Loge,” which includes memorable photos from Owens’ time before and after the games. This was especially interesting for us students because Owen’s is a huge part of Ohio State culture and is remembered throughout campus with Jesse Owens’ Memorial Stadium.

This bell was originally in a bell tower that can still be viewed between the stadium’s coverings. During the Battle of Berlin, the bell tower was bombed, damaging the bell only minimally. The bell contains images of the Brandenburg Gate, and on the front is an image of the 1936 Olympic logo.

Next, we walked down onto the field and went into the underground part of the stadium. This is a view from where current players, and the athletes in the 1936 Olympic games, walk out to get to the track or football field. Behind the stairs is a completely empty media room. The reason why they keep it empty is because any company that uses the stadium, is able to showcase their brand with posters and company memorabilia.

Hertha BSC is the club whose home field is at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The club earned its name Hertha from the ship German men were on when they decided to create a new football club, thus why the club’s colors are blue and white. Shown above is the locker room of Hertha BFC football players.

After the tour of the Olympic Stadium, we sat down for coffee and pastries. The coffee shop makes fresh loaves of bread daily, and we enjoyed delicious sandwiches. The buildings surrounding the coffee shop were covered in vines, making for a beautiful outdoor cafe.

During the afternoon, we explored a flea market. We walked around stands with jewelry, clothes, vinyls, and food along with the locals. After the flea market, we shopped in the Alexander Plaza, looking into the Birkenstock store.

By Jason Knemeyer and Cameron Thompson  

The long-anticipated trip has finally arrived! We first left from Columbus at 9:00 AM to our long layover in Newark before finally departing for Germany! We landed in Berlin at 7:00 AM Berlin time.  

We ate breakfast at the hotel and then we took a bike tour around Berlin. One of our first stops was the Berliner Fernsehturm which translates to Berlin TV Tower. This tower was a sign of the communist power in East Berlin and their technological advances. The structure is 1,207 ft tall which is the tallest structure in Germany and one of the tallest structures in Europe.  

After exploring the TV Tower, we headed over to the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe who were murdered under National Socialism. The memorial is very peaceful, and people leave flowers as a sign of hope for the future.  

Above is the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), a stunning architectural masterpiece located on Museum Island in the heart of Berlin. Museum Island is home to five world-renowned museums, showcasing everything from ancient artifacts to 19th-century art. Germany plans to open another museum by 2037. The cathedral’s grand dome, intricate details, and powerful presence made it one of our favorite stops and one of the most photogenic moments of the entire tour. 

Another interesting stop on the tour was Victory Column. The Victory Column’s 4 rings represent victories in the Danish-Prussian War, Austro-Prussian War, and Franco-Prussian War. The top ring was to celebrate Hitler’s 50th birthday which was a grand celebration in Berlin. The column represented German Nationalism and imperial strength.  

The Brandenburg Gate was the next stop on our bike tour in Berlin! This monument was once a symbol of peace. Napoleon took the top of the statue after defeating Prussia in 1806. However, Napoleon was defeated in 1814, and Prussia brought the statue back to the top of the monument. They added symbols like the Iron Cross and turned this into a symbol of victory and national pride. A fun fact about this monument is that the top of the monument stares at the French Embassy. 

One of the last stops of the day was at the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas. It’s the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. It consists of 2,711 concrete slabs that vary in height. One of the most significant parts about this memorial that made it so impactful was how the ground slope changed throughout the memorial. We were asked to walk through by ourselves so we could reflect on a powerful piece of art. The concrete slabs show a range of emotions, individuality, and togetherness. This piece represents the loss of humanity and structure during the Holocaust. This piece reflects Germany’s effort to confront its past in order to build a better future.  

Overall, the tour was an awesome experience as we got to experience the history and culture of Germany! After the tour we all got lunch on our own, and we got to explore some more of Berlin on foot. After getting some food we headed back to the hotel for some much-needed rest.  

From May 8th-19th, KNSISM 3798 (European Model of Sports) will be traveling to Berlin, Prague, and Munich. This is our 5th trip to Europe. Visit this site for daily updates on our trip (written by students in the class).