RETRACING THE HISTORY OF WARS IN WESTERN EUROPE – PROBUDI 2015

Wassenaar — The Probudi 2015 is divided into 2 activities: 1). Appreciation of International Culture; and 2). Promotion of Indonesian Culture.  For the first programme SIDH organised two-day study trip to Efteling (Netherlands), Luxembourg, and Bastogne (Belgium), 6-7 November 2015.

In Efteling the participating school community refreshed themselves. For our students it was a adrenaline-pumping activity.

In the afternoon we headed for Luxembourg and spent one night. The next morning we explored the Luxembourg City and the surrounding before came down to the Casemate du Bock (The Bock Fortifications), the remnants of fortifications in the City’s north-eastern corner. In 965 Count Siegfried built his Castle of Lucilinburhuc in the vicinity which in centuries gradually developed into the modern Luxembourg City. We witnessed and experienced how the Luxembourgers had spent their winter seasons in the vast underground system of passages and defence lines to survive the fierce attacks of the Burgundians, Hapsburgs, Spaniards, Prussians and French.

From Luxembourg we left for the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium. It is dubbed as The Living Memories of the Ardennes. Cited from its website the new museum route offers a modern memorial center and interactive context of the causes, events and consequences of the Second World War through the prism of the Battle of the Bulge. Here in groups our students and accompanying teachers strolled to view and study the expositions and memorabilia of the fiercest battle of the Second World War. Next to the museum stands the proud Mardasson Memorial to honour the memory of American soldiers wounded, missing in action or killed during the Battle the Bulge. It was very exciting experience and learning the history of heroism and patriotism.

We arrived back in Wassenaar on Saturday’s evening.

While for the second programme we have planned to provide angklung workshop to a Dutch secondary school in Hoofddorp.