Berlin's Struggle Toward Cultural Identity

By Tyler Silvers

 
During the reign of Nazism in Germany, dating back to the 1930's, the leaders of the political party set out to radically change the culture of the European continent and, if possible, the world. Under Hitler’s direction, Albert Speer became the chief architect of the new style of Nazi Architecture. Buildings designed with the new style quickly sprang up across the Nazi regime, and in effect grew to provide a new cultural identity for the people of the time period. Nazi Architecture seems to have been based largely on the party’s idea of creating an Aryan race – an ideal that essentially seeks to create a population of perfect people, all of whom possess an identical culture. This idea was expressed in architecture through the monumental scale of the buildings constructed at the time. If we take the opportunity to zoom out and look at the structures from afar while thousands of people are gathered in and around the building, everyone, in effect, becomes the same - we don't see individuals, we just see people, thousands and thousands of seemingly identical people; almost like looking at an anthill. The speed in which the Nazi leaders were able to establish the new cultural identity of the population is simply astonishing. In less than 10 years, they were able to undo the previous way of life and reestablish a new life (albeit one of oppression) supported thoroughly with the architectural works of the time.

 

The collapse of the Nazi regime, and its architectural style, came with the end of World War 2 and left the masses void of any significant cultural or architectural identity, a void most notable in the capital of Nazi Germany – the city of Berlin. As a result of being heavily bombed at the end of WWII and the sequential Allied takeover, the city was purged of any and all remnants of the so-called Nazi Architecture, giving the city a clean slate on which to redesign its cultural identity. Without an absolute direction (like that offered by the Nazi party, which allowed an identity to be forged quickly), the city would enter a period of cultural uncertainty. The monumental task at hand was to undo the culture based on an all-powerful political party and to reestablish a culture that focused on the value of the individual as present in the modern world. The movement toward the modern world, while largely avoided in Soviet controlled East Berlin, was encouraged in the western half of the city. Architects from around the world, such as Hans Scharoun and Mies van der Rohe, flooded West Berlin in efforts to redefine the culture of the city through works of design. The culmination of design led to the development of the Kulturforum, a new cultural center based on the arts (and, thus, the individual rather than the party). Each building was designed to be free standing, however, and no clear relationship existed between the structures. Despite the cultural complex bringing a touch of modern architecture into the city, representing their willingness to move on from the once prevalent Nazi Architecture, Berlin had yet to address the one group whom it had shoved furthest into the corner – those of the Jewish faith. It wasn’t until Berlin united as a city that the cultural transformation would culminate in a new identity for everyone in the city. Architects such as Daniel Libeskind and Peter Eisenman were commissioned to implement Jewish memorials to lament the occurrences of the past. At this point, the city could declare its new cultural identity complete – one which focused on every individual without discrimination based on race or religion.

 I find it interesting that over 50 years go by before the city fully regains an culrural identity through the use of architecture equal to that established by the Nazi regime in only a few years. The city's new identity, however, offers more centrally focused ideals that incorporate rather than oppress the masses. After over half a century of turmoil, the city finally finds peace cultural peace with the assistance of architectural design.