Memories from C3 meeting: "Local museums and manufacturing workshops - a wonderful source of learning"
My Polish experiences through the Erasmus project
The experience that I got from this learning trip was absolutely wonderful. I met new people that I will never forget and I’m really glad we can still in touch with each other. We visited beautiful places and we had a lot of fun. The hosts were extremely nice, helpful and welcoming, the other participants were very friendly and extremely funny.
Of all the beautiful places I visited, my favorite was Poland’s town, known for its grain trade, Kazimierz. It looks like a city out of story books. The buildings looked like they were made of gingerbread with richly decorated facades, and the streets seemed taken out of cartoons, with their old river stone pavement.
I really didn’t imagined that such a beautiful place existed, with such an extraordinary history as that of Kazimierz. Vistula River, the navigation lane to the whole Northern Europe, facilitated the trade and contributed to the production capacity of the manor plain it crosses. To this day, the grain storage silos owned by important families of merchants are preserved. From the outside, the beautifully decorated facades in Renaissance style seem to be important institutions, you wouldn’t think those are silos. However, that effort for ornaments was not in vain, considering that the facade of the building was a testimony to the prosperity of the merchant and could influence commercial transactions. Every place visited in Poland was unique and extremely nice but Kazimierz surpasses them all.
I don’t think I will ever forget this trip in the “Erasmus” project 2019-1-RO01-KA201-063189. It’s an experience that brings a smile to your face, just by thinking about it. The teachers who accompanied us were always beside us, they helped us in the moments when we needed and supported us during learning workshops,therefore we thank them for this. I will not forget the bus routes, I will not forget the jokes and most importantly I will not forget my friends from Poland, Italy and Turkey.
This experience has been an unforgettable one, which I hope as many children as possible will enjoy.
Ștefania Feșteu, VI A grade,
Avram Iancu Lower Secondary School, Dej, Romania
Thoughts about places and people
For me, it was the first time when I left the country as a member of an, Erasmus+’’ project. It was an unforgettable experience, which I hope that many people from different schools could and will enjoy. The people that hosted us in their school for a few days behaved incredibly nice with us and welcomed us with so much warm in their souls. The students from the Military High School named XXVII LO im. Zeslancow Sybiru from Lublin cooperated with us and they helped us when we needed information about the place where we were visiting or anything else from the project workshops. We visited so many beautiful places witch I do not think I would have ever visited, but more importantly we had by our sides partners from different schools, beautiful people that I met in Lublin.
A special place, which mostly captured my attention and caught my eye and even rose my interest for history, art and international politics was the town of Zamonsc. This town has a remarkable history, being private, founded by a Polish noble who was close to the king of Poland. Few days before we visited the town, I discovered the portrait of Jan Zamoiski in the art gallery from the Art and Local History Museum from Lublin and I found details about his contribution to the Polish kingdom’s success.
The reason the settlement is so important in the view of Polish people, over the centuries is the fact that the fortress of Zamonsc was never conquered in wars. The urban architecture is unique, the buildings which form the town are placed according to the human body parts. In Zamonsc everything is beautiful: the buildings facades, the city squares, the defense walls, the cathedral, the synagogue, the houses, the Science Academy, the museums, and especially the people, who are the true keepers of the treasure.
The students from Poland, Italy and Turkey were people that I could never regret meeting there and I am happy because I had the opportunity to stay connected with them after the end of this chapter of ,, Erasmus+’’ project even if are more than 1000 kilometers between us.
I am extremely happy and grateful because I had the opportunity to be in that project and I will never regret that I accepted the request to go to Lublin for one week. Iasmina Magurean, student in 8th A “Avram Iancu” Lower Secondary School, Dej, Romania
Erasmus experiences: Insights from a visit to a concentration camp from Majdanek, Lublin, Poland
The Partnership for the Exchange of Good Practices in the field of Education 2019-1-RO01-KA201-063189 gave me the opportunity to visit Poland with a team of students and teachers from our school.
In Poland, we experienced an unforgettable welcome reception: memorable learning activities, a pleasant atmosphere of cooperation, lively interactions with students of our age and exciting visits to historical and tourist attractions of great significance, to name just a few.
One of the most shocking and striking experiences was visiting the Nazi concentration camp at Majdanek, in the suburbs of Lublin. At the entrance, when I grasped the proportions of the settlement, I became aware that this place had a great significance in Poland’s history and the whole of Europe.
The camp is located on a smooth hill with a vast expansion. The surface is surrounded by electric fences. All around the place, there were numerous guard and observation towers built to stop the Jews, Polish people, war prisoners, and political prisoners from escaping.
I had the sensation that the number of barracks would never come to an end. The fact that thousands of people ate, slept, and lived or ended their lives excruciatingly made me aware of how cruel history can be. Majdanek was built from 5 detention fields, 20 barracks, workshops, a triage zone, a vegetable garden for housekeeping and a crematory. In addition to these, I need to mention the administrative buildings for more than a thousand German soldiers involved in guarding the objective.
Inside each barrack, there were innumerable bunk beds with a thin blanket for each person. These were made of a plank with a single layer of wood and did not have any heating system. Prisoners had to resist the harsh environmental conditions in those wood barracks, thinking that in winter, in Poland, temperatures frequently reach -25ºC.
The Nazis decided who lived or not, so if someone’s sentence was death, he or she would end up in the gas chamber, then turned into ashes, to be thrown into the ground. There were so many people killed that they had no space to bury them intact.
We also visited the shack where the prisoners’ slippers were requisitioned. I saw thousands of slippers of those who were interned in the camp. They were different sizes and models, from small children who were left without families to old people who lived their youth in freedom until they got into the hands of the Nazis.
It’s astounding how even after all these events, the concentration camp at Majdanek was kept so well over the years, so that we could understand all the atrocities that took place in that place.
Erasmus offered me the invaluable opportunity to see a part of our continent’s history, understand that history must not be repeated, and learn the lesson of tolerance.
I am grateful and elated for this indelible experience! I will never forget the city of Lublin, where I learned Polish, collaborated with different people for school activities, and made new friends. I hope to have the opportunity to get to Lublin with my family to show them how beautifully a city hundreds of years old has been preserved!
Djin doble Poland, djin doble Lublin!
Mădălina Nemeti
Student in eighth grade
,,Avram Iancu” Middle School
My Erasmus experience
The Erasmus+ Project developed by our school has managed to create some wonderful memories that I will never forget. I left my country for the first time, and I don’t regret anything at all.
While I was in Poland, I had the opportunity to meet amazing people, open and communicative, respectful and understanding! I had the chance to discover new places and extraordinary facts loaded with historical significance.
Our hosts from Poland, the military high school XXVII LO im. Zeslancow Sybiru, proved to be extremely hospitable and respectful, always willing to help you. The teachers, too, were extremely understanding. I laughed a lot with them! All the participants formed a team with which you would like to spend your days forever.
The remarkable historical sights and landmarks we visited in Poland left an indelible mark on us! The interesting but sad stories of Majdanek, the houses of Kazimierz that looked like they were depicted from some cartoons, the Village Museum, and the beautiful old houses gave us insights into how they lived back then.
Traditional Polish food is very delicious and worth a try! Everything I ate was tasty, and I was always sad when I finished everything on my plate just because I no longer had the chance to take a mouthful!
I befriended my colleagues in the project very quickly! Poland, Romania, Italy, Turkey, seemed the same community because we have a lot in common! The humour, the style of music we listen to, etc. are details that make us compatible. It was interesting to learn something about the culture of other countries.
This journey is one that I will never forget! I’m glad I had the opportunity to see so many exciting places and meet extraordinary people. I already miss those moments!
Tudor Ciceu, 8 C grade student,
Avram Iancu Lower Secondary School, Dej, Romania
My impression of the students from Romania, Italy, Turkey were for sure positive. On the first day, they showed us great leaflets about their countries, traditions and some interesting facts. They presented it nicely and I was completely astonished at their fluent English. Everyone had a chance to speak up about their country which was a great thing. Our meeting was well – organized and each person learned something useful. I am really glad I had the opportunity to meet people from different parts of the world. It was really encouraging and instructive. I had also the chance to go on a trip to Zamosc with them which was another nice experience. We were sightseeing the city and acquiring knowledge. We got to know this town from the beginning of its history. I am greatful for those meetings and as well as for the opportunity to learn such interesting things.
Natalia Kępka, 3cp
On October 19th our school welcomed students participating in Erasmus+ program from Romania, Turkey and Italy. There were also Bulgarians online. Our meeting started with a presentation of the leaflets prepared ealier by the students from every participating country and a small trip around the school. We discussed the differences between our schools and some interesting cultural behaviours or facts. In my opinion this unusual experience and the knowledge we acquired from our guests can be really useful in our future life. I can’t wait for the future meetings, and I hope I’ll be able to participate in next Erasmus+ projects.
Dominik Łuć, 3cp
Our adventure with Erasmus+ exchange students started with preparing a presentation in a form of a leaflet about our city. Then we had to present it to our guests from other countries. In the beginning my classmates and me worked out a presentation plan as well as a leaflet. We wanted to describe our wonderful city of Lublin in as many details as possible. Our presentation was divided into several parts so as to discuss in detail the most beautiful parts of the city and its history.We welcomed the students from Romania, Turkey, Italy and Bulgaria (on-line) at our school. I found their presentations and leaflets very interesting and they encouraged me to visit their homelands. The participation in the project motivated me a lot. It was such an unforgettable adventure that I’m looking forward to meeting them again.
Maja Cieplińska, 3cp
The arrival of the people involved in the Erasmus project to our school was a very nice experience and I think everyone enjoyed it.
The students and the teachers as well were very interested in the way the lessons in different subjects were conducted at our school.
Although I felt a little bit nervous while presenting our leaflet in front of them all, I think it was worth an effort. I’m grateful I had the chance to meet students from different countries. I learned so much.
When we first arrived in Poland, one of the things that caught our attention was that everyone was smiling, courteous, polite and well-behaved. As we could see streets, squares, parks, etc. were kept very clean. In addition, special attention was paid to nature. When we visited the churches, beautifully crafted motifs greeted us. People were not afraid to talk, they loved to help. One of our favorite parts was the Majdanek concentration camp. We had learned about the history of Poland and understood how to learn from these dark times. There were millions of people killed, tortured and many more for a piece of land. The place that attracted our attention and we were sad was the part where the shoes were. Because every shoe there represents a hope and is taken away from them. In the Old Town, the Virgin Mary painting above greeted us. When we entered, there were restaurants and historical buildings. In short, these were our impressions. If we had another chance, we would gladly come again to Poland.
Efe İDİK
When we came to Poland, the first thing that caught our eye was that the places were clean and people took care of nature. Parks, gardens, squares, streets were all clean. People were very kind, smiling and well mannered. None of the people hesitated to talk, and they came to us and chatted, and they liked to help a lot. But this is the good part. Unfortunately, the Polish had to suffer a lot in their time. We noticed this when we toured one of our favorite parts, Majdanek Concentration camp. Lots of people were murdered in those concentration camps. We saw the shoes of a lot of people who were killed there, representing the hope. But still, people forgot these dark days and embraced the future happily. In addition, the country had a very clean air and a city design that kept people comfortable. Their city had a great historical past. And it had an atmosphere that immerses you in that history. When we visited the churches, we saw many different paintings, motifs and sculptures. We also saw pictures of the Virgin Mary and the Prophet Jesus. When we entered the Old Town, restaurants and various historical buildings greeted us. These were our brief impressions of our trip. If we have the opportunity to go to Poland again, I would definitely like to go.
Burak TORUN
First of all, from the first moment I got on the plane, the people around us were smiling, cheerful and kind people. On the first day in Warsaw the Collegium Civitas building looked very majestic. I think it was the best Building I’ve ever seen there. Among the other historical places we visited was the majdanek Nazi concentration camp, which we liked very much. It was there that one of the darkest periods in history had passed. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed for nothing. Secondly, it was the Old Town. It was a very cute place. The most beautiful parts of Poland were the streets were really clean, the traffic rules were followed and many similar features. We were gaining more and more experience with Poland day by day, and we started to like it more and more every day. These were my thoughts in a nutshell. I hope one day we will have such an experience again. If they asked me if I would like to attend such an event again, I would accept without hesitation.
Muhammet Emin YILDIRIM
Hello everyone. I am Gabriele Cicciarella, an Italian student of ICS Casella.
This year I, with my teachers and a classmate, left for Poland for the Erasmus + project and it was a fantastic adventure. We visited both Warsaw and Lublin. In Warsaw we visited: the government building; the Chopin Benches, distributed in a street that play a melody by the musician; the football stadium where the Polish national team plays; the museum dedicated to Niccolò Copernico;we had a nice walk along the Vistulariver.
In Lublin we visited: the main square,where there is a portal that virtually connects Lublin to Vilnius; the old Town. We slept in a “bewitched hotel”. Inside, the lift brought back a fourth floor, which did not exist, and during the night the television was turned on in my room. We also went to school. With Turkish, Romanian and Polish students we visited interesting and sad places at the same time: like the concentration camp and the old city. We did pleasant activities such as a visit to the museum, a trip to an open-airvillage and a trip to a field.
With this project I discovered that in Poland the people eat mainly soup, another typical dish is Pierogi, but one evening we ate a really good pizza. I liked some types of soup, some I didn’t. Pierogi are ravioli that can be fried or steamed. During this trip we met new people and made friends with them. I recommend everyone, if possible, to participate in an Erasmus project, both to improve their English and to make new friends!
Gabriele Cicciarella 3B
My impression of this trip? Well, it’s certainly not a simple question.
I really like traveling, getting on a plane and setting off on an adventure to discover new countries, get to know different cultures and traditions and above all make new friends … traveling is this and much more! Having had the opportunity to do it for the Erasmus experience made it all more beautiful.
Erasmus is not just going to another country and speaking in English: Erasmus is a life experience that enriches you socially and culturally. I am already thinking about when I’ve grown up and I could say that I have had such an experience.
This trip was wonderful for several reasons: the teachers were perfect in everything and for everything; I was able to improve my English; I met wonderful people that I will never forget!
I enjoyed the activities at the school, especially the lesson in Polish. One of the things that we don’t have and I really liked is the school canteen, it was great to be able to eat together all the time.
The daily excursions were wonderful, some were really meaningful; others made you enter an enchanted landscape as seen in the filmsfilms: the autumn leaves, the trees arranged in a row as if to create a path …
But what remains to me most of this experience are the wonderful people I met, the joy and the smile as soon as we met and the tears at the time of saying goodbye.
I will never forget this experience.
Anita Sgarlato 3A
Hi,
I am Efe I am a student studying at Private Mersin Uğur Schools. When I was chosen as a participant in this project, I was more than happy.I was very excited to go abroad.I had quite an experience during my travel to Lublin.we had fun during the activities in school. I saw spectacular places and made good friends in there. Everybody was very kind and friendly to me. I saw those Nazi camps which I saw only in documentaries.I learned a lot. Malgorzata and her colleagues was very polite. I will never forget about Lublin and the wonderful memories in there.
My name is Iva Ilieva, from VI grade and I took part in the on-line meeting. It was in Lublin , Poland. We were 20 students from different grades. We began to prepare for this Meeting 3 weeks before it. We made our presentations and some posters ab
out Bulgarian traditions and heritage .
During the meeting it was interesting to understand about different culture and traditions. I liked Polish lesson. It was funny to study some new words in Polish. But sometimes Internet connection was bad and we couldn’t see and hear well.
I hope in the future we can travel with my classmates and visit foreign countries and meet other children .
I think it is important to study English. And I am glad that I work in this project. When I see my new friends from other countries, I can talk with them.
- It was a great experience! I really enjoyed it and even made a new friend while I was there! The meeting itself was really fun. Poland really has awesome traditions and the language itself was fun to practice. I was glad to take part in this online meeting. Thank you! I hope to see you one day!
Best regards, Bozhidara Zaharieva ,VI grade