The end of the Palast der Republik

[Soviet]

What do you think about that?
They will start to dismantle it in December.



http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesells...382793,00.html

It seems to me that Germany is erasing his 20th century history.

Have your last live look here: http://www.dhm.de/webcams/VID1.html

[torstenbel]

we talked about that a few months ago in another thread and I still think that this is just madness...the Palast der Republik would be perfect for a permanent DDR Museum and they are going to demolish it to rebuild the Kaiser's old Stadtschloss...how stupid and short sighted is that? The Palast der Republik as a Museum would draw thousands of tourists every year and there are hundreds of castles and Palais in and around Berlin already and to rebuild the Stadtschloss will not do anything to get more tourists...also, the cost of getting rid of the Palast der Republik and re-building the Stadtschloss will be infintely higher than getting rid of the Asbestos and converting the Palast into a museum....how and why Germany thinks once again that the only way to deal with the past is to destroy and ignore it (just like with anything pre-1945) is behond me... Cheers, Torsten.

[Rob Brown]

So what was that building for?? I remember walking past it in 1995, due to the tower in the background, but I was like 13 so the thought of what it was never occured to me.

[Bone Collector]

So what was that building for?? I remember walking past it in 1995, due to the tower in the background, but I was like 13 so the thought of what it was never occured to me.

It was the DDR parliament.

[Rob Brown]

I would have investigated it myself, but I am work and you are not supposed to be browsing the net while in "productivity hours" hence I put up a quick post for a quick answer, Thank you very much. I am typing this up on Microsoft word just now, so it looks as if I am working lol!! I would have thought it would have been turned into a museum full of DDR memorabilia and information on the cold war etc. So what is this Kaiser building that is being built??

[Thälmannpionier]

how and why Germany thinks once again that the only way to deal with the past is to destroy and ignore it (just like with anything pre-1945) is behond me... Cheers, Torsten.

very true and sad....totally agree with you!!

[torstenbel]

I would have investigated it myself, but I am work and you are not supposed to be browsing the net while in "productivity hours" hence I put up a quick post for a quick answer, Thank you very much. I am typing this up on Microsoft word just now, so it looks as if I am working lol!! I would have thought it would have been turned into a museum full of DDR memorabilia and information on the cold war etc. So what is this Kaiser building that is being built??

it was Kaiser Wilhelm's residence in the City of Berlin...Cheers, Torsten.

[Mike G.]

Torsten,

Normally I don't stand in the way of "Progress", but on this one issue, I am in total agreement with you. I don't think asbestos is the issue - just a cover story for the real reason - obliteration of DDR History. This is sad. While certainly most would agree relevant to the questionable political aspects of the former East German Government, certainly there are numerous cultural aspects as well as physical structures of interest that are unique and worth preserving. The DDR afterall did have its own unique culture. The film Goodbye Lenin briefly touched on this. Napoleon was a Dictator and while alive, a threat to world peace. Yet today, there stand museums all over Europe that celebrate this era of French history, not just in France. In Belgium there exists one of the finest Napoleonic era museums I've ever seen. History of this very violent era preserved for many generations to come.

You are quite correct that it would have been the absolute perfect place for a museum showcasing the former DDR. It would have been perfect. Perfent building, and perfect city. I don't see anything incorrect or wrong with a museum that is dedicated to housing, protecting and safeguarding for posterity, this part of German History. It happened. And the political reasons that existed at the time and caused it to happen should be preserved, viewed, and studied, so that people in the future can understand how and why it happened. Funny that now Germany wants desparately to sweep it under the rug. Instead, the politicians should accept that for a period of about 40 years, there existed two separate German Nations, and two very different German cultures. East Germany, and Berlin in particular, were for much of the 20th century, the focul point of international news focused on the Cold War. The Palast der Republik would be the absolute perfect place to showcase this part of German History.

Now I wonder about the Television Tower. Will it be next? I hope not.

[torstenbel]

I do not really care whether people think that the ddr was bad, good or neutral or whatever...that should not make any difference, fact is that the ddr was a state with its own unique identity, history, culture and people...it existed and it will forever be a part of world history...it is where ordinary people were born, grew up, were happy and/or sad and died....it needs to be remembered for what/how it was...a museum that tries to bring across the totatility of what the ddr was and of what life in the ddr was like and was all about is well called for and actually needed as far as I am concerned...a museum that does not try to judge the ddr for what it was, but that tries to simply portrait and show the realities and that they are not using the Palast der Republik for this purpose is for me simply behond all comprehension and I actually get quite wound up about this everytime I hear about it, think about it or talk to people about it. Surely, there must be some kind of movement in Germany that protested against this happening and that tried to stop it...obviously too late now, but is anyone aware of any such movement? Cheers, Torsten.

PS: The Fernsehturm will not be touched...it does not have anything like the symbolic meaning of the Palast der Republik and there are no major problems with it and West Germany completely sees it as an asset, rather than a liability unlike the Palast der Republik...

[torstenbel]

Torsten, but on this one issue, I am in total agreement with you. .

I hope you can agree with me on other issues, too...??... well, maybe after a couple of pints in Berlin in Spring??.... Cheers, Torsten.

[Mike G.]

I totally agree with your comments Torsten.

My wife used to subscribe to the two Berlin newspapers (Morgen Post and Zeitung); but then a couple of years ago she found she could read these papers by accessing them on her computer through a web-site. However, for the last year she has not had a computer, and so we have not been keeping up with the local news in Berlin.

I too wonder about some kind of Protest Movement, or if the people there are just willing to let the politicians do whatever they desire, without comment.

I often find myself in a very peculiar position. I spent my entire 22 year military career with a "Cold War" bias toward bringing down Communism and the Warsaw Pact - and to that end, East Germany. Now I find myself doing everything in my power financially to preserve to the extent that I can (In my home) what once was East Germany.

I spent a considerable amount of time in East Germany when formerly stationed in Berlin. When the Wall came down, I actually believed then, and still very much believe today, that the two German Nations should have remained just that - two separate nations. I was for a change in government and wanted very much for the Soviets to be kicked out permanently, and for the government to transition to a more Democratic Socialist government. I also wanted that Wall to come down, and come down hard. But I felt the cultures of the two countries from what I had personally viewed while living there, were different enough that in my opinion, it would have been better for both East and West Germany to have remained independent of one another. That is my view and it is agreeably based upon one person's perspective. I certainly am no expert on economics or politics - being just a simple soldier. Others are of course entitled to their view. That just happens to be mine.

[torstenbel]

I spent a considerable amount of time in East Germany when formerly stationed in Berlin. When the Wall came down, I actually believed then, and still very much believe today, that the two German Nations should have remained just that - two separate nations. I was for a change in government and wanted very much for the Soviets to be kicked out permanently, and for the government to transition to a more Democratic Socialist government. I also wanted that Wall to come down, and come down hard. But I felt the cultures of the two countries from what I had personally viewed while living there, were different enough that in my opinion, it would have been better for both East and West Germany to have remained independent of one another. That is my view and it is agreeably based upon one person's perspective. I certainly am no expert on economics or politics - being just a simple soldier. Others are of course entitled to their view. That just happens to be mine.

well, here we agree again... that is exactly what I was thinking when the wall came down and we went to the elections in May 1990, etc...that is what the people's movements that started the 'revolution' wanted...those were pretty much their exact aims only to be kicked out of the way very, very quickly by the major established political parties from the West as soon as the wall was down...today, I am ok with the way it is and I am completely neutral towards the question of whether there should be only one German state or maybe still two German states...I have not lived in Germany for nearly 15 years and that has softened my view on this question considerably.../Cheers, Torsten.

[Soviet]

What I don't like is that next time I'll be in Berlin, there should not be any more a Palast der Republik. So I didn't know that last time I saw it was the last time.

[Bone Collector]

I too wonder about some kind of Protest Movement, or if the people there are just willing to let the politicians do whatever they desire, without comment.

Probably the later. It seems to me that people almost are scared of politicans.
In Sweden there is a word for this kind of activity (politicans erasing history) "cultural murder". In the sixties the politicans demolished 1/10 of Stockholm, replacing old 18th century buildings with ugly looking "modern" houses.

[IMPERIAL QUEST]

Probably the later. It seems to me that people almost are scared of politicans.
In Sweden there is a word for this kind of activity (politicans erasing history) "cultural murder". In the sixties the politicans demolished 1/10 of Stockholm, replacing old 18th century buildings with ugly looking "modern" houses.

The new plaza and buildings are hidious and insulting to the buildings that once stood there. Look at the details in the brickwork of the old buildings compared to these modern structures that lack charachter and creativity. what a shame.