Whilst the French Revolution occurred over 200 years ago (1789-92) ,too many landmarks remain for Paris to claim that it is a brand new city. Yet whilst these homages to an iconic and somewhat uncertain turning point in history are on display for everyone to see, it is questionable whether both residents and holiday makers really appreciate their significance.

October 2013 saw myself and a group of friends head off to Paris on an eventful school residential. As historians, artists, and linguists it is safe to say that although we were all looking forward to soaking up the typical sophisticated Parisian atmosphere, we were also keen to explore the heritage and overwhelming significance of the city. Our four days were spent hopping from metro station to metro station, exploring places of historical importance such as the Arch du Triomphe, Napoleon's Tomb and Palace of Versailles (to name but a few!)

The Champs du Mars, taken from the Eiffel Tower

The integration between the past and the present Paris really fascinated me to the extent that it has taken me this long to fathom what I saw and to be able to put it into words. Whilst walking along the Champs du Mars, directly opposite the Eiffel Tower, it occurred to me that I was walking in the same place in which hundreds of radical Parisians were massacred by the monarchy for daring to sign a petition asking for a constitutional monarchy. Yet at the same time that I was pondering why on earth I was allowed to walk across such important ground, at least a hundred people were standing by the grass taking selfies and eating crepes. On another occasion, whilst standing by the wall of a church which had visible bullet holes from the weapons of the revolutionary armies, so many people were walking past with Chanel and other designer handbags. In the light of this, is it really reasonable to argue that Paris is the city of history that it has claimed to be?

Well, it certainly cannot be ignored that these monuments exist, and no one can argue that the French Revolution and the era of Napoleon never happened - we can see that with our own eyes. Perhaps what has changed is the relative importance of such heritage. Everyday citizens within Paris are as accustomed to the Eiffel Tower and Louvre as Londoners are to the House of Parliament and the Tower of London. Understandably, when you live somewhere that is so culturally rich, it must be hard to fully appreciate it as you've been exposed to it your whole life. But perhaps the advent of social media and a growing online community has meant that people do not need to go abroad to experience history for themselves. Why travel to Paris to see the Arch du Triomphe when you can watch someone else's trip on YouTube? The time that would have been wasted whilst appreciating history can be spent shopping for macaroons and I love Paris t-shirts!

I will never forget my trip to Paris - both the history and the company were incredible.

History needs to be seen up close and personal to be truly appreciated and believed. Whilst a day trip around Paris is indeed fun however it is spent, I cannot champion enough the importance of spending time uncovering the city's heritage for yourself - it's too important to forget.

Despite the 9th November 1989 being a relatively new addition to the history books, I cannot help but be fascinated by the series of events leading up to the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Perhaps this is partially due to my appreciation of politics, but I believe the reason may just be as simple as human curiosity. I can hardly imagine living in East Germany - the lack of privacy due to property surveillance, the tight travel restrictions and the inability to speak one's opinions are all aspects of  a Communist society which I fear would be too much for me - yet it is evident that 16.11 million people did just that for over 26 years. I simply cannot stop asking myself how so many people coped, to the point whereby I often spend a long time quizzing my German teacher about her childhood living near the Russian border.

So, how did I discover this fascination with a Communist regime which was not an entirely new phenomenon to the Western world? After all, their are so many books and sources documenting the creation of the Communist Regime in Russia in November 1917 by Lenin and the emergence of fascism in the form of the Nazi Party of Germany in the 1930's, yet there is a considerably smaller number of documentaries and primary sources regarding life in the German Democratic Republic. The answer in this case, surprisingly is German film, and perhaps more commonly, autobiographies of both East German citizens and foreign news journalists.

After much thought, I have managed to choose two note-worthy sources of incredible importance - one film and one autobiography - which shed so much light on life under the German Communist Regime. If you want a quick education in East German History, you have come to the right place!

1989: The Berlin Wall, My Part In It's Downfall
Peter Millar
Arcadia Books
2009 
As far as foreign perspectives go, Peter Millar's take on life behind the Berlin Wall, is one of the best. Working as a newspaper journalist for Reuters, Millar finds himself living in East Berlin, and consequently adapting to life under a Communist Regime. Yet he has something that many autobiographies written in East Germany do not have - the ability to directly compare life in East Germany to life in West Germany, due to his freedom to travel across the border.  A book that can be read without prior knowledge of  German history, Millar's work is certainly worth exploring if you want an accessible yet one of a kind insight into East     German politics and life as well as the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall.


The Lives of Others
Directed by Florian Henkel
2006
Set at the beginning of 1984 all the way through to nearly a decade after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Lives of Others follows the life of the Stasi worker Wiesler and his newest surveillance case. The case turns out to be more complicated than it seems, and leads to disastrous consequences for both him and those under surveillance. Yet hidden behind the drama are clear references towards life in East Germany are made. This film is really worth a watch not only if you want to get a feel about day-to-day life in Germany, but also if you want to see the psychological effect that a Communist regime had on both it's victims and it's loyal workers. Whilst it could be argued that some films with a historical theme are over-dramatic and inaccurate, The Lives of Others is the exact opposite - it can only be described as a historical masterpiece.