For our last official excursion with the program we went to the Berlinische Galerie to look at pieces by artists connected to Berlin in someway. We talked a lot about artists who did not get into the academy and told they were not “artists”. These groups, called Secession, opposed the exhibitions of the academy which led to many impressionist and abstract paintings such as the the one in the picture below. Because of these rejections we talked about how the government was informing what was and was not art, especially German art. This is very similar to our conversations we had in class surrounding Hitler’s views on art. Craig recounts how Hitler removed any art that could be a threat to his party. He also thought that more abstract art or “unrealistic art showed a lack of skill, another example of the government dictating what is and is not art. I think it is interesting that this has happened multiple times in German history especially considering the importance of art as a form of expression and identity.
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Today we visited the Rütli School in Neukölln. While there we had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of students. Most of our conversation surrounded perceptions of Germany by Americans and perceptions of America by Germans. We talked a lot about the current political climate in Germany and how they felt about the rise of AFD, the far-right party. Both students commented on the concern in the rise of the party and how they noticed a particular increase in the East of Berlin, particularly Marzahn. Having visited Marzahn on Monday, I noticed far more AFD signs and advertisements and it appeared to be a less diverse area. As we continue to talk about Berlin as a multicultural city, these pockets of heightened racism and islamophobia are increasingly concerning. While much of central Berlin feels like a postmodernist society, as explained in The Muslim Question in Europe, the smaller eastern areas still reflects many nationalistic ideals that are concerning for many Berliners with an immigrant background.
This morning we visited Khadija Mosque in East Berlin. This mosque was the first to be built in East Berlin, but not without pushback from many in the community. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Imar Said Ahmad Arif who spoke on the backlash for the community and his perspective on Islamophobia in Germany, and more specifically, East Berlin. What I found most interesting from this conversation was the conversation around identity. He said that most people from his community are Pakistani but have a strong central Germany identity. Growing up, he and his friends always spoke German instead of Urdu and even in their mosque today, the prayers are in German. This differs from what we have experienced prior, where many people with an immigrant background feel almost without an identity, nevertheless a strong German one. Mr. Arif went on to explain how this difference is explainable, particularly with Turkish immigrants. When people from Turkey originally came to Germany, they came as guest workers as seen in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. Because the intent was for them to go back to Turkey, they were not integrated into German society and always treated as second-class. Because of this, it is understable that they would not have a strong German identity.
Today, we split up into our research groups. My group, focusing on division and unification in Germany, first went to the Deutsches Historisches Museum. My favorite part was the Democracy Lab exhibit. This interactive exhibit was created to raise awareness on the fact that democracy thrives with engagement and awareness. One example of this presented in the exhibit comes from the idea of freedom of opinion and free access to information. This was represented in the picture below with a press stand where you were encouraged to speak into the microphones about issues that matter to you. This area also reminded visitors that in order to achieve this essential aspect of democracy, one must engage in constructive dialogue and continue to talk about the things that matter, or risk media monopolies or state censorship. This aligned very well with former Chancellor, Willy Brandt’s campaign slogan in 1969, “Dare More Democracy”. Through this he recognized the importance of political participation in order to increase acceptance and diversity. I through it was important that, even 50 years later, this idea is still relevant in society and how easy it is for people to take their democracy for granted and become complacent in their political engagement.
As we continued our trip, we shifted our focus from divided Germany to the Holocaust. While the Holocaust Memorial is probably the most well-know, I particularly enjoyed the Jewish museum, especially in light of the controversies surrounding the Holocaust Memorial. After reading Schneider's description of the debate and visiting the memorial for myself, I understood how it seems disrespectful for children to be running around and people climbing on the stones. However, I really appreciated the “Fallen Leaves” exhibit in the Jewish Museum as shown in the picture below. I thought that the faces on the floor were a powerful representation of the numerous people harmed by the holocaust while still maintaining an interactive element, as you are supposed to walk down the hall on the steel faces. For me, walking on the faces made me also think about all of the people who were complacent in the happenings of the Holocaust. It serves as a good reminder that by not stepping up and doing anything, you are also contributing to the harm
Focusing on divided Berlin for the last two days has helped me think more about how people reacted when the wall came down. This picture, taken at the Berlin Wall Memorial, shows how close the wall was to businesses and residential areas. Someone’s work or best friend could have been on the West side, less than a mile away, but they lived on the east side. Taking down the wall allowed for movement between the two areas of Berlin but also brought about the struggle of unification. The film, Goodbye Lenin, shows, not only how people assimilated, but also what was missed from the East. After suffering a heart-attack and being in a coma during the fall of the wall, the mother’s children decide not to tell her about unification, in fear that the shock would cause another heart-attack. Believing that East Berlin still exists, the mother asks for her favorite East Berlin items such as a certain kind of pickles and coffee. This represents that Ostalgie that people had for the East after reunification. However, not everyone felt this way. This is seen in the film through the mothers children and currently in Berlin. Barbra Gugold spoke on how she did not feel nostalgic for the East and was excited to be unified again
Today we visited the Berlin Wall Memorial. It was such a unique experience to stand in the middle of the West and East side walls and gain a greater understanding of the vastness and the effect of the wall. While I had seen maps of the “security system” in between the east and west side walls, I did not truly understand the intricacies and difficulties presented. The photo below shows how wide the area in between the two sides of the wall were and has an original watch tower that would have been used to make sure no one was escaping from the East. The East authorities worked very diligently to ensure that people stayed on the East side. They made sure that there was no place to hide, going so far as to dig up bodies from a cemetery to remove the headstones. In Schneider's Berlin Now, he details how the Stasi served as a secret police to spy on East Berliners. This is another example of how the East authorities worked to keep the people in the East where they were.
Today was our first full day in Berlin. While exploring the city, I came across this graffiti that read “Refugees Welcome”. I was particularly surprised by this since the majority of the rhetoric I see and hear is anti-refugee and immigrant. The far-right political party, AFD, that continues to gain political power and is well known for its anti-refugee political stances, is one example of this rhetoric. It is also shown in the film Fear Eats the Soul, when Ali, a guest worker, is rejected by many of the Germans, and is even refused service in a shop. Seeing the welcoming message towards refugees was a stark contrast, in comparison. I am interested in seeing if there is more graffiti or art with a similar message throughout the city.
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