Schlossplatz In Transition

The Schlossplatz in Transition

Marek Dutschke

If you want to understand contemporary Berlin, you will have to go to the place that represents the most recent history of Germany like no other: the Schlossplatz Located at the eastern end of "Unter den Linden", Schlossplatz literally translates to Palace Square (untill 1950, it was the site of the royal City Palace.) Schlossplatz gives an insight to the architectural, political and ideological transitions of Germany in the past three centuries.

International visitors coming to Berlin might wonder how it is possible that such a multitude of impressions were thrust upon a single location. The reason for writing this piece is that there is a continuing struggle for historical interpretational dominance over the Schlossplatz. This can be seen in the latest round of restoration, deconstruction and planned reconstruction. No other place has a more tumultuous history and is currently at the center of such fierce debates that question the very nature of political progress after WWII.

The emergence of Berlin as a city on the world stage took a lot longer than in other European capitals like Paris or London. Most of Berlin's territory today was marshland until the early 18th century. In 1648 there were a mere 6,000 inhabitants living here. The Schlossplatz, which is located on an island in the river Spree, appropriately named "Spreeinsel", was originally part of a city adjacent to Berlin named Cölln. At that point in time, Germany as a nation did not exist. Several royal families divided central Europe in a countless number of independent duchies, who were always in fear of French invasions. It was really a twist of fate that the Hohenzollern family, a lesser noble family, inherited an expansive estate, known today as Prussia, on the eastern fringe of the Holy Roman Empire, which ended up being the motor for the German nation state.

Berlin became the focal point of Prussian politics in the early 18th century. The Prussian rulers set out to develop a large and well-trained standing army, which was the foundation of their power. The most famous of the Prussian kings was Frederick the Great, who was instrumental in the building of several of the monumental buildings that can be seen on "Unter den Linden" today. Even more important were his military achievements and those of his successors, which made Prussia a force to be reckoned with and Berlin the capitol of a German empire.

The Schlossplatz was firmly entrenched as a bastion of an authoritarian monarchy until the memorable 9th of November 1918. On that day the German empire was abolished, as the emperor Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate, because of the impending loss of WWI and domestic unrest in the whole empire. While he hastily left Berlin behind with a train full of treasures, in order to live the rest of his life in a Dutch exile, other protagonists were planning the future of Germany.

One of the Protagonists was the communist Karl Liebknecht, who upon hearing of the emperor's abdication decided to go to the city palace on the Schlossplatz. In front of one of the main portals to the palace, he gathered a crowd and told them that a new nation has been born the "Free Socialist German Republic". He then proceeded to enter the palace and stand on the balcony above the portal, where he called upon the crowd below to swear an oath to the new republic and the world revolution. This proclamation is for some the hour of birth of Germany's separation after WWII.

I will not even try to give an historical introduction to the period between the end of WWI and the end of the WWII, because it is too complex and the horrors of the Holocaust are unfathomable.

After the allied forces defeated Germany in WWII, Germany was divided into four zones (the French, British and Americans in the West and the Soviet Union in the East). The Eastern Zone occupied by the Soviet Union, which later became the German Democratic Republic controlled by the Socialist Unity Party (SED) of Germany, used the Liebknecht proclamation as the legendary birth right for a sovereign East Germany.

The site of Liebknecht's proclamation, the City Palace, was badly damaged during WWII, and in 1950, the remains of the City Palace were blown up. The result was a huge empty space that was named Marx-Engels-Platz (it was renamed Schlossplatz in 1994). The portal from the palace, which Liebknecht used for his proclamation, was saved from demolition and incorporated in 1964 into a new building on the Schlossplatz, called the "Staatsratgebäude" (seat of the State Council). The State Council was the symbolic highest authority in the GDR. Ironically, this building which was dedicated to the republic of workers and farmers was transformed into a campus for a private, corporate-sponsored business school in 2003.

Now this is where the fierce debates of contemporary Berlin begin. In the 1970's, the leadership of the GDR decided to build another palace on the same location where the City Palace once stood. The Palace of the Republic was ceremonially opened 1976 as the convention centre for Socialist Unity Party and it also became popular with East German citizens, who would go there to see shows or go bowling.

The collapse of the GDR had several reasons; the desire for more freedom, western products and bankrupt government paved the way for Germany's reunification in 1990, but it also meant that the Schlossplatz, which was the earlier bastion of Prussian monarchy, then the heart of communist East Germany, was in for another change.

The Palace of the Republic was quickly condemned in 1990, because the building was contaminated with asbestos. In the meantime, the inside of the building was totally stripped bare, so that a mere hollow shell remained. The shell of the building was opened for visitors in the summer of 2003, and it was allowed to use of the building for cultural events until its eventual deconstruction.

The question of what to do with the Schlossplatz gave way to a ferocious debate. The more conservative parties pushed the idea of demolishing the Palace of the Republic and rebuilding the City Palace. They had the advantage on knowing exactly what they wanted to build and that there was a collective feeling on wanting to get rid of all the memories of the GDR. For example the street names or Lenin statues were removed swiftly. It took 13 years to make the decision, but the decision to rebuild the City Palace was made final by the German Bundestag (Parliament) in November 2003. Leading up to the decision, the public debate turned the demolition of the Palace of the Republic into a principle question of how the GDR should be viewed. Past movies such as "Sonnenallee" and "Good Bye, Lenin" tended to sentimentalize life in GDR and to suppress the negative sides. Especially, the German Socialist Party (PDS) advocated keeping the Palace of the Republic and have generally tended to defend many aspects of the GDR.

The last chapter of the Palace of the Republic has been written, but the battle for dominance of the Schlossplatz continues. While the decision to rebuild the City Palace has been made, the problem is that there is no money to build it. The City Palace advocates are also not sure what to put inside it. The future project of a "Humboldt Forum" inside the City Palace, where art from the Far East and Asia will be exhibited is far from being completed. The beginning of the reconstruction will probably not start until 2013. Several years ago, the Senate of Berlin made the decision to have a grass field on the Schlossplatz util the reconstruction begins, which should be accompanied by a so called "Humboldt Box", where citizens can ask questions and make suggestions for the future "Humboldt Forum". The idea of having a grass field on such a meaningful location for possibly 10 years seems to me ridiculous. Last summer a new chapter began, as the German art magazine "Monopol" presented the idea of installing a temporary contemporary art museum on the Schlossplatz.

The struggle might possibly never end, but visitors in Berlin should definitely visit the Schlossplatz and see the ruin of the Palace of the Republic, remnants of the old City Palace, Liebknecht's portal, the 19th Century Monumental Museums and the Marx and Engels statues just across the river. This multitude of impressions makes it one of the most fascinating and interesting places to see in Berlin.