We visited the Berlinische Galerie today. During the semester, we learned that Hitler had little tolerance for art. He destroyed many pieces based on the belief that art could endanger his party. The Nazis also publicly burned art deemed “unrealistic.” It was not difficult to imagine the potential repercussions for artists in this period. For instance, the tour guide had mentioned how one artist was forbidden from exhibiting or working in Germany. I was however surprised to learn that Hitler did not get rid of all art. I found my favorite piece at the end of the tour. It was the photographs depicting the fighting in World War II.
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I did not know what to expect with our visit to the Rütli School. His presentation in class was concerning, seeing that the teachers had asked for the school to be shut down. Nevertheless, the visit exceeded my expectations. I had a fun time conversing with these kids and comparing our cultures. These children were more similar to the non-Germans depicted in Fatih Akin’s Soul Kitchen. Despite that they were practicing Muslims, I did not find them to be highly traditional and conservative. All of the women were seeking a higher education. This differed from Umey, who was denounced by her family when she sought to make an independent life for herself and her son.
O’Brien discussed guestworkers in Beyond the Swastika.This term was brought up again during our tour of the mosque. Because the Turkish people originally came as guestworkers, they failed to properly integrate into German society. Furthermore, neither the German government nor these individuals had planned for them to stay in Germany. It explained why the Turkish people did not view themselves as German. They understood that their presence was not permanent. Therefore, they would choose not to learn the language and live in pockets with other Turks. I found Kreuzberg to be a perfect example of their reluctance to integrate. In contrast, other groups viewed themselves as German. For instance, the Imam described himself as German Muslim. He also found it confusing when the Turks would not speak German in school. Among his Pakistani friends, he would still speak German.
Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg are two very different areas of Berlin. The distinct police presence in Kreuzberg differed from Charlottenburg. In the latter, there was little to no law enforcement. We also witnessed a lack of diversity. For instance, fewer women were wearing hijabs. Upper class shops lined the streets of Charlottenburg, whereas Kreuzberg was filled with Turkish markets and shops. However, the most interesting difference was that people were actually out and about in Charlottenburg. In contrast, Kreuzberg was seemingly deserted with our group being the only one out. Graffiti also signaled that this area was not properly maintained. I am not exaggerating when I say it was everywhere. We found graffiti covering an elementary (or middle) school. It seemed as if all the funding had gone to the upkeep of Charlottenburg. More important were the messages found in the graffiti. It articulated their discontent with society.
The “stumbling stone” is yet another way they have memorialized the Holocaust. This provides a different vision of Holocaust remembrance. They have focused on the principle “less is more.” I found it very powerful to have these spread throughout Berlin. It insured that Germany could not escape its past.I was also intrigued when our tour guide today identified himself as Lebanese and German. This postmodernist way of thinking is becoming more common. You can experience a postmodern world by witnessing “the proliferation, fragmentation, and combination of identities” (O’Brien 9). Because I have identified myself as Argentine and American, I could relate to Mohammed. I understood the difficulty of trying to mesh two completely different cultures into your identity.
We were able to visit the Holocaust Memorial and Museum. It angered me to find the memorial not respected in the manner it deserved. A couple was seriously in there having a photo shoot. Kids were playing on their scooters. Teenage boys were chasing each other. Did they not understand that this was a place of remembrance? I also found it highly problematic that it exclusively represented Jewish Victims. The memorial for the Gypsies and Homosexuals was tucked away in the Palace of Tears. No one seemed to make it here. Most were also distracted by the time we reached the memorial. This highlights a controversy that surfaced during the debate on how to best memorialize the Holocaust. Many had felt that it should include other groups who were prosecuted by the Nazi Regime.
During the discussion had at the wall, the tour guide described the border guards. Not only would they patrol in pairs, but their partner also remained unknown until their shift. Officials were afraid that they would flee to the West. Some were also members of the Statsi. Their omnipresent threat was depicted in the Lives of Others. By creating an atmosphere of fear, the Statsi were able to control every aspect of East German life.
This portion does not directly pertain to the readings, but I formed an interesting connection to the Bosnian Genocide. Dutch soldiers would draw graffiti in the UN Compound in Srebrenica. The massacre here left more than 8,000 dead. These derogatory messages were mainly directed towards the people, especially women. I observed similar graffiti today in the Bundestag. Although I did not understand all that was written, I found it interesting that soldiers let on to what they were thinking. I have included a picture of both the graffiti found in the UN Compound and the Bundestag. Following the Holocaust and the Second World War, Germany’s culture of remembrance was dominated by images of horror. Instead of remembering the fact that they had been living victims, one could only think about the murdered Jews. Furthermore, when children received such information, it simply elicited feelings of guilt and defensiveness. This is not the best way to memorialize the Holocaust. Sam (Tour Guide) made this point when we briefly passed the Holocaust Memorial. I initially agreed, until I found individuals lounging on the stones. Did they not understand that this was a place of remembrance? They should grasp (and understand) the severity of the past. Schneider had discussed these differences of opinion in Germany/Berlin about how best to memorialize the Holocaust.
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