The History of Berlin

          After watching the BBC documentary film about the history of Berlin, I have found that the history of Berlin is not just of conflict, but one that shows the persistence of the human spirit and what can be accomplished within a community. Some of the topics that I found most interesting about Berlin were the establishment of the Weimar after World War I, the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949, and the deconstruction of the Schloss to make way for the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin. All of these topics show the controversy and conflicts that surrounded East and West Berlin throughout the 20^th Century.

            I find the history of the Weimar Republic interesting because during a time of political and economic turmoil, the arts and the social atmosphere of the republic were able to progress and flourish. The artist George Grosz was one of the many artists during the time that used their work to depict the life of the poor and show the rise of Nazism. These artists were apart of the German Expression movement and influenced many aspects of the arts including paintings, cinema, and theater. Another major social movement was the beginning of gay and transgender rights campaigns. In 1919, Magnus Hirshfeld founded the Institute for Sexual Research in Berlin. This institute promoted the understanding and tolerance of gay rights and transsexual individuals. I think this is important because it shows how progressive the city of Berlin had been in terms of social movements. This institution may have been shut down when the Nazi’s came to power in 1933, but it shows that Berlin was also a center of progressive through out the twentieth century.

The bust of Magnus Hirshfeld who founded the Institute for Sexual Research in the Weimar Republic in 1919.   

            Another example of the persistence of the people of Berlin during a difficult time is the German Blockade during 1948 and 1949. At this time, the Soviet Union blocked the railway and roadway routes for the Allied forces to supply the people of West Berlin with their necessary resources. In response to this blockade, the Berlin Airlift was started in June of 1948. I find it outstanding that an airlift of such a large magnitude was successfully organized. Planes was taking off and landing several times an hour in order to supply the over 4,000 tons of daily fuel and food needed to keep people of West Berlin alive. The fact that the Berlin Airlift lasted 462 days shows that the West was willing to do whatever it takes to work against the opposition of the Soviet Union.

The Berlin Airlift started in June of 1948 and ended May of 1949. In the image, the German people of West Berlin are watching one of the many planes that came to deliver supplies. 

            I also find it interesting that building have large significance to the history of Berlin and that a building can serve as a powerful political statement. The Stadtschloss City Palace was built in the 15^th and was the residence for kings of Prussia and German Emperors. After World War II, the palace suffered significant damages. Since the palace was located in East Berlin, and was therefore controlled by the Soviets, the palace was viewed as a symbol of Prussian imperialism. The building was torn down in 1950. On the same plot of land, the Palace of the People was built in 1970 in East Berlin. This building housed the German parliament was open to the public often for cultural events. The construction of the Palace of the Republic on the same site of the Schloss symbolized the old imperial nation being replaced by the young social state. The building shared the same fate as its predecessor; the palace was torn down in 2003 after the reunification of Germany. In 2013, the reconstruction of the Schloss began, this building would help to serve as a symbol to the reunification of Germany. I find it interesting that the destruction and reconstructions of building serve as symbols to the power that is currently in control of Germany.

The Stadtschloss City Palace built in the 15th and torn down after World War II by the socialists in power in East Berlin.

The Palace of the Republic, built in East Berlin in 1976 as the seat of the German parliament.