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...then we take Berlin| | Berlin is a truly complex city in a very important country. Nonwithstanding, I will give some slipshod analysis of some of the world's most historical events, and will cram 3, yes 3, of them into one post. I expect to take some flack for not giving these issues enough attention. Believe me, do I give them attention (here and always), but I just type slow, and have very little time with the Summer school here, as well as actually trying to experience the city. The very little of my free time remaining is left as analysis, meaning to type this I have to dig into my sleeping and eating times! So here we go...
Rome, London, Paris, it seems to me these cities are more well known historically because Berlin has only been a city very recently, when in the 1800's it was formed from an amalgomation of a dozen or so villages. Now its broad streets and leafy parks make it comfortable and relaxed, while its intense history as the center of the German empire republic and reich makes it probably the pivotal city of the 20th Century.
My most recent stop, though my #1 reason for looking forward to berlin, was Cold war history. It's embodied at Checkpoint Charlie, which was the only crossing point between west and east berlin for diplomats, etc...no crossing for East berliners at all..
Thousands of East Berliners snuck across, and hundreds were killed. Their methods are all documented- hiding in luggage, hot air balloons, tunnels, a homemade submarine, etc. All sorts of protests, subversive plans, and defiant acts are documented here at the Checkpoint charlie museum, which is actually called the Wall Museum. It is an incredibly emotional museum, with individual stories of people working around the world to eliminate the Wall, and all walls, physical and otherwise. Jerusalem was referenced as a parallel to Berlin by a german author in the early 80's. No reference to Nicosia that I caught. The wall museum was made as the events unfolded, so its a true historical (west german) perspective...
Here also, were stories about freedom in other parts of the world- the Ukrainian Genocide(including a film about it), uprisings in other parts of the Eastern Bloc and so on. Perhaps because I'm so thoroughly anti-soviet, but I really did not think the pro-western sentiment was over the top. For me, its hard to find sympathy for a system that fences in its people, then shoots its own citizens when they try to leave. But another observer might think this viewpoint is not sympathetic enough to the socialist cause. Pro Regan and Gorbechov messages, as well strong anti Stalinist sentiments (to the point of translating his office as Dictator) ,and anti- Checka (Dzerzhinsky) and Stasi (the East German KGB, which was seemingly more brutal than the other Soviet Bloc states, save the USSR itself) attitudes certainly did not paint the losers' side with any sympathy, but the fact is the museum was created in real time in West Berlin during the construction of the wall, and continued growing and expanding until the wall fell adds the explanation of the bias in presentation. Even so, this message was the same (if not even milder) as the sentiments expressed in the newer, flashier DDR museum on (former) east german soil.
Onto another important historical point, the Germans are, of course, guilty of perpetrating one of the most terrible crimes against humanity ever, and probably the world's most calculated and evil genocide. And they are very sorry for it. It is illegal to say anything anti-semitic; Jews are now very much embraced in every way possible. There's a new synagogue and lots of positive public policy.
There are Jerusalemer Street, Yitzak Rabin street, even Ben Gurion Street here in Berlin (in Dresden, in East Germany proper, there were all kinds of Warsaw pact capital named streets, which remain to this day; overt socialist names have however been changed...still its funny to walk down Prager street or Budapester street).
The street example was just one specific example how Germans seem genuinely sorry and to really appreciate Jews. They try- probably overly- hard to get over their prejudices and collective feelings of guilt. To this end, there is an incredible holocaust memorial, in addition to the Jewish museum, occupying an entire city block, on prime real estate only a block from Parliament. Experiencing this monument, which is an angular set of huge rectangular stones, some 15 feet high, conjures a huge graveyard. Spooky and thought -provoking, walking between these immense columns late at night really was chilling.
The Jewish Museum was a similarly intense place. Supposedly the best of its kind in the world, and indeed it is superbly professionally done. The dramatic modern architecture is angular and harsh, evoking unease throughout. However, while Germans do feel guilty, I think that having the museum evoke imagery of a prison while wire-studded cross-shaped windows looked out was a bit unnecessary, especially given Hitlers neo-pagan ideology; the Third Reich was far from a christian regime. Aside from this one notable detail, the tone the museum set was also excessive- while the holocaust was no doubt a pivotal event in German, Jewish, and World history, the museum of Jewish history need not emphasis this event throughout. Jews are not confined to angular cells behind barbed wire for their entire history, as the museum more or less implies. There are arts of the museum where this emptiness is appropriate- the holocaust tower which is an angular cold empty room, was well done. But I felt that emphasizing discrimination and hate against Jews undermined the very real contributions that Jews have made, to Germany and beyond. While there was an emphasis on German, and to a larger extent Ashkanazi jews (a term which which did NOT include poland, lithuania, russia and eastern europe, according to the museum including france italy and germany only- I'm not entirely sure about that one)
Its Garden of exile, symbolizing he Jews scattering across the world (referencing specifically post WWII exile from europe) was terrifically done, with cobbled paths on slightly uneven incline through off-angled columns that made the walk through the garden entirely disorienting, stumbling and tripping as the loss of perspective. It was really a feeling one might induce from alcohol; though I did not appreciate the misleading exhibit description that the columns were vertical (from afar they clearly are not); trying to orient them as vertical creates the disorienting effect. Misleading, yes but these elements and the effect were very perfect.
But while it is impossible to catalogue the history of the Jewish people, I was expecting more ancient Jewish History, including Judiasm's contributions to religions and philisophic thought. Instead, it was more german centric, which has its ups in empasizing local famous jews but also its limitations in that in trying to be the worlds authority, its not very educational about the history and roots of judaism. Perhaps more Jewish traditions (they were but briefly mentioned, and I didnt catch any of the holidays mentioned) and religion and interpretations.
Instead the museum began speaking about Constantine and how his reforms to help Jews really ended up working against them. Perhaps true, but the condemning language really set the tone, and led into what would be essentially a chronicle of mistreatment of Jews. I am actually sympathetic to this point, I just dont think it's the only point to be made.
Then the museum immediately moved on to how Jews were expelled from various towns during the crusades, banned from public offices, blamed for the death of Christ, the plague, the loss of Germany in WWI, etc. While all of these things are true, to one extent or another, the sheer volume of self-victimization was tantamount to crying wolf. The museum constantly listed excerpts of anti-Jewish statements made by various people for the last 2000 years. It is not surprising what we can find a set of museum walls' worth of these, but is it really a constructive or representative activity? Esecially when many of the quotes were not from political leaders or church leaders, but usually random excerpts from opinion columns, etc.
The museum also contained a section on prejudices, against jews and others.
However most all of the advertisements were a hundred years old, and very similar to the Smithsonian's exhibit (though admittedly much more technologically advanced, as is all of Germany). While germany is very cutting edge in general, this was one area where they definitely were NOT challenging any status quo. Not many modern ads were shown or challenged.
I also did not appreciate the "are you prejudiced" inteactive game, which was similar to a psych lab experiment, but done in such a way that its very hard to NOT get the result prejudiced, even if you had no prior prejudice at all. I think the point here again is propoganda, saying everyone should reduce prejudce- which I might agree, however the manner in which this is relayed is misleading and it feels dishonest. The latest psychological studies I know about this area (which are similar to the test the museum conducted) actually state that virtually everyone (including dark-skinned people) are biased toward lighter skin, though of course they used valid methods...I mean that people, all of them are biased against darker skinner people.
I also didnt like the interactive questions (like internet polls) throughout. Questions like "Do you think any of your friends harbor prejudices against Jews" and "Should Turkey be allowed to Join the EU" and "Should anyone born on German soil be a german citizen" (apparently they're not?)
Despite the terrible tings happening to Jews, which certainly in some ways parallels terrors of the Soviet Curtain, I did not feel the same type of emotional response as I did in the Berlin Wall museum (at Checkpoint charlie). I'm not sure that Soviet dictatorship and the Holocaust are directly comparable; both are too horrible for mere description, but the presentation in the Jewish museum seemed a bit too singular in emphasis for me.
For reference as to how Germany portrays Jews in General and the Holocaust in specific, I wish I had been able to go to Dachau (outside Munich) but it was closed the day I tried to visit it 2 years ago. Aushiwitz, in Poland, was in my opinion superbly presented (mostly in that there was no presentation- things were left as is, with minimum displays or words). The nauseating nature of he place spoke for itself.
I did not find a similar level of emotional arousal here at the Jewish museum, and in fact I felt it was endless playing the victim whereas Jewish life and contributions are much more than 1-dimentional. I of course acknowledge the victimization of Jews throughout the ages; I don't particularly think that constantly bringing tis up, or in blaming Christianity, is useful to do in such a wide swath.
A similar example is the excellent holocaust museum in DC. I think, with the exception of the disjoint and unsettling celebration of the proclamation of israel at the end, the DC holocaust museum evokes emotion and presents information in a way that educates and motivates, not in a way that makes the Jewish people an innocent roadkill on the pathway of history. However, as I mentioned, Germans are extremely sorry for their role in the holocaust and seem to overcompensate. This sentiment, I believe, is counter-constructive, and leads to the European wide anti-Israel stance that has been gradually adopted, as well as the arrogant, isolationist, and self pitying role that Israel has taken on in its global role. There is clearly a lot of history and pain and rejection to be worked out, but sometimes moving forward is as positive a step as remembering every wrong of history. Also see post slavery Black issues for this; not an easy issue. I advocate that one must constantly be aware of how much you are visctimized but never make it your calling card- for your own sake. Being a victim is timid; rising above is. For another simplistic analysis of this issue, see Barack Obama's race talk back in march.
I did see the Memorial to the Israeli athletes at the olympic park in Munich the last time I was there; this was creative, austere, appropriate and on the right scale. The jewish museum certainly had brilliant elements, but its fundamental refrain, even if true each time it was mentioned, did not help me to connect with the Jewish struggle as much as such a museum had the opportunity to.
OK< so that issue is so important I dont want to stop thinking or rambling about it but I promised to mention third issue, that of Germany being the center of Europe, which it pretty much has been for all of the last 2 centuries. Rome was challenged only by Germanic tribes, who wroke (yes wroke) havoc upon all of Europe and expanded germanic-dom and prussianess to the very border of the Lithuanian-polish state. The Tribes eventually became the kingdom of Prussia, who were not as bad as Russia, but were probably Lithuania's #2 enemy of the State historically. Actually, for most of history, Lithuania dominated Russia, and only came to constant stalemates with Prussia, so Prussia was the worthy opponent; only in the last 200 years did Russia do anything to get back at Lithuania. But now Prussia is dead so we won't give them Public enemy #1 status.
Anyway, there's various sayings: that Bavaria is not Germany (its catholic, inefficient, lot of accent, very different culture, didnt join Germany until late etc), saying that East Germany isnt like Germany(brainwashed/ changed culture form the iron curtain), that Berlin is not (too multicultural- sometimes called little istanbul for the umber of turks here) etc. But let us say this: Brandenburg was the seat of the Prussian King. Pretty much always a bad bad man in this humble opinion. Though a very important and powerful one. Brandenburg gate, whose statue was stolen by naopolean then stolen back by prussia, represents german history in downtown berlin because it represents historical power and european dominance. Germany is power- economic, population, industrial, political, power.
I do not embrace the german mindset in most ways (except power travel efficiency), but I have to respect it. They dominate, they are proud, and they are resiliant across all times. Ok, I hope thats enough blather. On with the city count next time- I'll jot a bit more about Italy and the Berlin party scene.
| | | Posted 7/14/2008 9:57 AM - 81 views - 6 comments
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