REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 1, 2026

JUNE 22-29, 2027
The Context, Life, and Ministry of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
with Dr. Andrew Root
Travel-Learning Experience: Berlin, Germany. 7 days.
​(Seven days includes US departure for following day arrival) 

Exploring theology, culture and Christianity through the lens and story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  
Dr. Andrew Root will guide us through an integrative mix of lectures, tours, conversations, and experiential learning
​ set in the Bonhoeffer family home and various museums and sites all around the historic and vibrant city of Berlin.  

TRIP DETAILS:

​Our home base for this travel and learning experience will be the Historic Bonhoeffer Haus, where Dietrich and his siblings plotted the conspiracy to kill Hitler, and where Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Gestapo on April 5, 1943.  Dr. Andrew Root, author of Bonhoeffer As Youth Worker: A Theological Vision for Discipleship and Life Together, whose own work and thinking has been deeply shaped by Bonhoeffer, will guide us through the story of Bonhoeffer's life, and into Bonhoeffer's theology of "place-sharing." 

​All this is set in the vibrant and historical city of Berlin, in which, for all intents and purposes, the 20th century began (with the Declaration of WWI in 1914), and ended, (with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989).  Many Berlin sites, such as the wall and various museums and Confessing Churches, are included in this travel-learning experience.

Weaving in reflective prayer practices, Rev. Kara Root will invite us into a spirit of receptivity.  How might God meet us in this unique and focused encounter with the world beyond us, the people beside us, and the lives of those gone before us?

Arlene Flancher is our connector and coordinator, managing all details of the trip.  Contact Arlene with any questions.

Cost Details:

BASE CLASS COST: $2,100 single room, $1,650 double room

$500 due upon registration. (includes $50 non-refundable registration fee) Remainder due on March 15, 2027

Final payment may include: Single Room cost difference, Travel partner hotel room only, etc.

FEES INCLUDE: 
Hotel accommodations for 6 nights, with breakfast each morning; All tours, admission fees, and gratuities that are part of the course; Berlin Welcome Pass for all train transportation; Two group dinners; All instruction; Use of Bonhoeffer House. Participants book own airline travel.

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:
  •  $750. Travel Partner, double-occupancy, no class add-on: (for travel partner who may want to join in tours and meals but no class). $300 (tours, meals, and transportation), plus $450 (6 nights hotel room share).
  • $450. Travel Partner, double-occupancy, hotel only.

Additional Costs - You will be responsible for:
  • Airfare (approx. $1,400 – 2,200 purchase your own ticket)
  • International medical insurance ($80 - optional but highly recommended) Compare prices here.
  • ETIAS authorization (European Travel Information and Authorization System).  $8.
  • Lunches ($70)
  • 4 dinners ($140)
  • Snacks and souvenirs
  • Transportation from the airport to the hotel when you arrive in Berlin ($5)​

Payment Details:

$500 due upon registration
(includes $50 non-refundable registration fee)
Remainder due on March 15, 2026

​Payments may be made online at the Trip Payment Page
or by check to:
Root Creative
2276 Carter Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108

​Trip Cancellation Policy: 
Fully refundable before March 15, less the $50 registration fee.  After March 15, refund is limited to anything
​over fixed costs of $850.

To extend hotel stay before or after trip, 
​contact the hotel directly.

​Questions? Contact Trip Coordinator Arlene Flancher​

TRIP  ITINERARY:

​
  • ​Tuesday, 6/22- Departure from US for overnight flight
  • Wednesday 6/23- Arrival Day, Check in to The Hampton by Hilton, Berlin City West.
  • Thursday 6/24- Walking Tour of Berlin, Topography of Terror Museum, Group Dinner.
  • Friday 6/25 - Class in Bonhoeffer Haus, and walking tour of Gruenwald (Bonhoeffer's childhood neighborhood), Platform 17 Memorial
  • Saturday 6/26- Class in Bonhoeffer Haus (optional on own: Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Olympic Stadium or other museums/sites)
  • ​Sunday 6/27- Optional worship in Cathedral/Wilhelm Church and/or flea market, Class in Bonhoeffer Haus
  • ​Monday 6/28- ​University, National Archives or Niemoller Haus, Tour of Sophieneck (Confessing Church and East Berlin neighborhood), Final Group Dinner.
  • Tuesday 6/29- Check out of hotel (fly home or travel on own).

Want to learn more about Bonhoeffer?

No advance reading required! This is a whole course - come with background or knowing nothing about Bonhoeffer!
That said, if you want to read more...

​RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
Picture
And if you want a theological view check out Andy's book, (not just for youth workers!): 

​Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker: A Theological Vision for Discipleship and Life Together, by Andrew Root
Books about Bonhoeffer by German historians and scholars are also recommended.

NOT RECOMMENDED: 
​Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Unfortunately, as a NYTimes bestseller, this tends to be the first book that pops up for folks. It is NOT endorsed or recommended by the Bonhoeffer scholarship community. Metaxas writes in an ahistorical way with a distinctly American political agenda. 
LISTEN / WATCH:
READ SOME BONHOEFFER:
OTHER RELATED GOOD BOOKS that would enhance your experience of the trip: