Monday, March 18, 2019

Denmark - Day 4

Denmark - Day 4

Today, the students spent the first full day at Haderslev Katedralskole.  They were in demand all over the school to give presentations on either the current political situation in the United States or their lives as students in the United States.  While each presentation started in front of the class, each of them because a casual question and answer session, the Danish students (and teachers) having more curiosity than a slideshow could satiate. 



While the presentations would persist throughout the day and the students would continue to answer the questions of the curious Danish community, the students also saw some of the curiosities the school had to offer.  First, they got a tour of the inside of a Cold-War-era nuclear bunker that was built under the school in case of Soviet invasion.  This bunker existed to make sure that there would be a Western operating headquarters for politicians of the time, and though they could survive on the rations within the place for up to two weeks, the members of the school community would not have been welcome inside.  








Next, the students saw the school library and all of its prized possessions.  Because the school was founded in the 1500s, its library traces all the way back to that era.  The oldest of the collection is an atlas dating to 1475, though other rare printings of the Bible and the works of Rousseau were part of our viewing.  







On our way out of the library, we passed through racks of other old (but not as old) volumes.  




And with one more session presenting to the Danish students, our students ended their first full day at Haderslev Katedralskole!  After the day ended, they went off with their hosts to an animal sanctuary close to the city to spend some group time.  Tomorrow, the group heads to see some original Viking ships, Hamlet's castle, and finally, the city of Copenhagen! 






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