Unraveling the Complexities That Shape Berlin Identity
University of Washington: Honors International Engagement
2008
Kristin Copeland
Prano Hiremath
Rachel Kim
Minjeung Koh
Michael Yamamoto
Table of Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Background…………………………………………………………………….. 3
Architecture (Koh)…………………………………………………………….. 5
East German Goods (Yamamoto)…………………………………………. 7
Advertisement (Copeland)………………………………………………….. 9
East German Integration (Kim)………………………………………………10
Youth (Hiremath)……………………………………………………………….13
Abstract:
Collective identity is the values, beliefs, and self-perception of a group. Benedict Anderson defined a nation as an imagined political community; similarly, we define a collective identity as an imagined community to which individuals choose to belong. Berlin is an ideal place to study identity, since it is a cohesive, functioning city though its identity has been in flux for the past century. German and immigrant history has also significantly shaped the Berlin identity. We wish to uncover the factors make Berlin unique, and reveal interactions between different social spheres. Group members will conduct detailed research in architecture, youth, East/West integration, East German goods, and advertising. Together, we will link the threads of identity as it is manifested in these topics. Ultimately, Berlin will be a case study in a greater understanding of urban identity itself. We propose to find the factors that shape identity as well as those that complicate the definition of a clear perception of self in Berlin.
Background:
The international community today consists of many countries with diverse and integrated populations, such as the United States. Though the US holds many cultures, they are mixed into a semi-homogenous society. Germany, specifically Berlin, is unique in that it has yet to reach this stage though they do in fact have cultural diversity. Berlin could be seen as the “salad bowl” whose ingredients have mixed, but remain separate. Since these groups have not fused, we can study where and how boundaries prevent mixture. Each of our projects places a different piece into the identity puzzle by exploring youth, architecture, East German goods, advertising, and East/West integration.
Germany has a dynamic history from shining moments with Frederick the Great, to the shameful times of the Nazis. Events of the past can never be erased, however, and lay the foundations of a person’s identity. A city’s history is captured in both the style and structures of their buildings. One of the research topics this summer will explore architecture to discover the effect of history in forming Berlin identity. A well-known event in past is the reunification of East and West Germany. The case of ostaglie and revitalization of East German past is a large part of the identity for the entire country. These themes will be studied by taking a closer look at the increased sales in East German goods to find how people reach to their past. As for the present influences on Berlin identity, analyzing advertisements discloses the current values that a society holds. Also, observation on the mental and emotional extent of East German integration is an attempt to study assimilation beyond the outer appearances. Finally the future of Berlin identity lies in the hands of the youth, thus they will be our insight into when integration might occur. The combination of these five individual projects will provide a better picture of the implications that build and hinder a clear Berlin identity.
Defining identity is a struggle that resonates in Berlin, but is unavoidable for every individual. The relevance of this topic is what drew us to conduct research on this matter. Identity is an intricate issue and is something possessed by all, yet slightly different for each person. This subject of our group is different from others in that it does not single out groups (for example, youth, artists, and immigrants), but attempts to encompass the entire population of Berliners.
Despite our passion for this subject, the biggest problem we faced during the beginning of research was embracing the broad and indistinguishable nature of the topic. Identity is not clear-cut; it is subtle, broad, and beneath the surface of what the average Berliner thinks about on an everyday basis. Thus, it was a challenge for us to find tangible ways in order to research an intangible topic.
Architecture
a) Context (Why is the topic relevant. How will it advance yours and others
understanding of the issue? Remember to consider why it is of personal interest
to you.)
Architecture is one of the most effective way to form its elements to represent an era, culture and power. Berlin went through several transformations during last two centuries and searching for its identity from the chaotic history. Recently, the German government decided to destroy ‘the Palace of Republic’ and rebuilt ‘the Prussian Royal Palace,’ so called, ‘Stradtschloss.’ Because in history, the architecture was used as a tool to form identity of society several times, I think rebuilding Stradtschloss is one of the stages the government is taking to form Berlin identity. This change will eventually make big differences in future by influencing perception of people because people will start forgetting about ‘the Palace of Republic’ and only recognizing existing rebuilt ‘Prussian Royal Palace.’
b) Problem(s) (what are the struggles you have encountered while beginning your
investigation?)
I want to hear how Berliners think about the issue, but since it already had been really sensitive and controversial issue in German and in Berlin, people might not want to talk about it any more or might over react to my questions. How to gather a good information is also a big problem. Another serious problem is I do not speak any German, which will limit my boundary of research a lot.
3. Research Questions (this is individual--but of course get member feedback and suggestions). This is where each group member sets up their individual research as one component of the overall group research project. Each group member should discuss their topic and develop a specific research question:
Berlin went through many transformations from a capitol of glorious Prussian Empire to a frightful war zone to a capitol of communist East German to a capitol of liberal German as a united Berlin. Architecture changes over different eras and under different powers since architecture is one of the powerful elements to represent the era, culture, history and power.
‘The Palace of Republic’ was built on the ruin of ‘Stradtschloss,’ the Prussian Royal palace under the East German regime after the World War II. Although Stradtschloss was already destroyed during the war time, building another significant public/governmental building on top of the destroyed symbol of fell empire symbolizes change of era and declaration of reshaping the identity of the city. And on 21 century, Berlin is on the stage of integrating different culture and social ideas. To shape ‘a new Berlin’ or some other reasons, ‘the Palace of Republic’ is deconstructed to rebuild ‘the Prussian Royal Palace.’ Does it mean erasing a part of history that considered ‘disgraceful’ or ‘unnecessary’ and going back to glorious powerful German?
Architecture is a way to visualize identity of a place and I always have thought about how many local people are aware of their architecture and how many people think a specific architecture represent their culture. I want to find out how many people think is this case apply to the shaping identity and how many people are aware of this changes and also what will be the influence in future by will this help to build united identity of East and West German? Or will it bring more struggles? Since East German people are already uncomfortable with this decision of destroying the Palace of Republic. East Germany’s last Prime Minister, Lothar de Miziere, admits the glass and asbestos behemoth isn’t very charming, but he is angry about how East German’s history is being discarded. He thinks tearing down the “Palace of Republic” would no do justice to the place this building has in the in the history of 20th century Berlin.
4. Research Methods (approximately 1-2 pages), i.e. interviews, field research,
observation, library research, expert opinions/interviews, case studies, etc. etc.
Since I am not able to interview people because I can’t speak German, I am thinking about hading out a short survey questions to people around the Stradtschloss.
1. Which building is symbolizing and identifying Berlin?
2. Do you agree with rebuilding Stradtschloss?
3. Do you think destroying ‘the Palace of Republic’ is erasing a significant history of Berlin?
Thinking about getting some interview from professors or students in Humbolts University about the issue.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,406448,00.html
http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=162
http://www.germany.info/relaunch/culture/new/cul_berlin_stadtschloss.htm
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1432598?&Search=yes&term=stadtschloss&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dstadtschloss&item=19&ttl=35&returnArticleService=showArticle
The Persisting East German Culture
Question: Is the persistent culture of east Germany limited to the nostalgia of an aging generation or is there a continuation through a younger population seeking the artistic freedom and creativity romanticized by “ostalgie”?
Despite the harsh, austere lifestyle of east Germany, time has allowed perceptions of the past to warp. Many members of younger generations now associate the divided Germany with a time of explosive creativity and carefree rebellion. Associated with the hippie 60s, it was a time of open rebellion and free spiritedness. In response to this and the nostalgia of the generation which lived through the events, east German products are now being resold and movies about east German life are being produced.
Research methods:
I plan to visit both the commercialized shops at Checkpoint Charlie and around the main tourist venues as well as find small towns on the outskirts of east Berlin that have not since been renovated. In both of these locations, I plan to observe the kinds of patrons who buy the products as well as their reactions to purchasing them. I will also be looking for the age group which tends to purchase these items.
Cultural Sensitivity and Ethical Research:
I plan to only discreetly observe the patrons and owners and will, ideally, not make my presence felt or known.
Sources:
Blum, Martin. (2000) Remaking the East German Past: Ostalgie, Identity, and Material Culture
The Journal of Popular Culture xxxiv (3) , 229–253.
Berdahl, Daphne. "Go, Trabi, Go!": Reflections on a Car and Its Symbolization over Time. Anthropology & Humanism.
Cooke, Paul. "Surfing for Eastern Difference: Ostalgie, Identity, and Cyberspace." Seminar: a Journal of Germanic Studies (2004).
Good Bye Lenin. Dir. Wolfgang Becker. DVD. 2003.
Polzin, Christine. Ostalgie - a part of a new East German identity?.
Advertisement
I am studying German advertising, focusing on billboards and other large, still images in the city. An important thing to remember about advertising is the fact that it both creates and reflects the values and beliefs of the culture it is in. Though there are obviously failed ad campaigns, for the most part, they are carefully constructed by highly skilled individuals to appeal [appeal should be in italics, but facebook doesn't do that] to people; they have the knowledge of what people respond to. German advertising will be designed to make Germans think “x,” like “x,” dislike “y” by using things they already like, dislike, et cetera, and staying within cultural boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. For example, Germans, like most Europeans, use sex in advertising far more than Americans. The other face of the issue is how advertising creates cultural values, the most obvious being the changes in female beauty in the United States. Once I have observed common themes and strategies in German advertising, I will have a fairly decent idea of what modern Berliner values are, and connect this to my group’s research, as values are a part of identity.
Research methods
I will conduct my research by photographing as many billboards and large ads as possible during the first two weeks, then sitting at my computer looking for themes within the ads. I will do preliminary translation of any text myself, but will mostly be relying on others. I will be rooming with Mary Grace, who is proficient in German. Rachel Schlecty already told me she could help me to some extent. For any ads that may be beyond people with German as a second language, I plan on asking Manuela to help me for an hour or two, probably in the third week.
• People (names, titles, etc.): Manuela, who is already helping us
• Places (address): across the city
• Equipment you'll need: my camera
• Information you will gather: photos
My research schedule:
1st week: photographing during the day, translating during the night
2nd week: continuing photographing during the day, translating, and starting to collect themes
3rd week: doing a close analysis of two or three photos, finishing up with themes, making sure my translations are final and accurate, starting to combine the group's findings
4th week: composition
East German Integration
Research Question:
As Germany concludes its second decade of reunification, to what extent do East Germans feel integrated in Berlin? The outwardly variances in East and West lifestyles are tough to decipher, but what are the mental boundaries that hinder complete integration?
Research Methods:
The investigation to answer this question will consist of interviews, a case study, and comparative observation of former east and west Berlin. A camcorder will be used for data collection and analysis. Because this inquiry will not have a visible or concrete answer, the data from my research will not answer the questions directly. However, the collected information should infer a general mental state that the East Germans currently experience.
First I will begin by visiting the DDR (German Democratic Republic) Museum. There I will interview the visitors to discover their purpose for attendance, whether it be tourist interest or nostalgia. Also, this will be an opportunity for me to be more exposed to the daily life of East German citizens. Then I plan to visit the former Stasi prison, now called the Berlin-Hohenschonhausen Memorial. There I will interview tour guides who are former inmates. I hope to unravel the political aspects of East Germany, as well as the darker side of East German life. More interviews and observations will be conducted at Hotel Ostel where I will be booked for a night. This summer I will attempt to get in contact with the owner of Hotel Ostel or the DDR Museum to form a case study around their business. Such a case study will focus on the intentions of the owner in recreating the East German household. I assume that their intentions will either be so that the East German life is not forgotten, or because of the market potential in showcasing communist life to tourists. The former reason indicates East Germans have yet to feel completely comfortable in the Capitalist society. Finally I will visit the far eastern areas of Berlin that still hold traces of the existence before the fall of the Wall. These observations will be used to compare the east and west lifestyles firsthand. The trip will also disclose how romanticized or exaggerated some of the interviewees’ reactions were.
Interviews will be held throughout my stay in Berlin and the questions will attempt to reveal whether East Germans actually believe they are able to practice true freedom in a capitalist society. Furthermore, the pros and cons of both Communist and Capitalist lifestyles will be questioned. The interviews, however, are limited to how willing the people are to speak openly about their thoughts.
Cultural Sensitivity:
During the interviews I will have release forms for people to sign before I film them. Also, it is very important that I do not ask for personal, identifiable information. Some people may be sensitive to the issue of living in the past Soviet Union and the boundaries of comfort must not be passed. The interview with the former Stasi inmates may reveal private information. If anyone is uncomfortable with their face being filmed, I can always resort to the pencil and paper.
Research Schedule:
Week 1— Visit DDR Museum and Berlin-Hohenshonhausen Memorial
Week 2— Stay a night at Hotel Ostel, Interview owner of DDR Museum or Hotel Ostel
Week 3—Travel to eastern side of Berlin with Michael
Week 4— Analyze data, edit videos, composition
DDR Museum
Contact: Peter Kenzelmann
Address: Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 1, direct an der Spree, gegenuber dem Berliner Dom, 10178 Berlin
Berlin-Hohenshonhausen Memorial
Address: Genslerstr. 66, 13055 Berlin
Hotel Ostel (9 euro/nacht)
Address: Wriezener Karree 5 – 10243 Berlin
Bibliography:
Bernstein, Richard. "Peek Into This East German Museum, and It Peeks Back." New York Times. 20 July 2006. Berlin Journal. 16 May 2008
Hunt, Jennifer, comp. Is the Transition in East Germany a Success? 20 Apr. 2006. McGill University and NBER. 30 May 2008
Hunt, Jennifer, comp. Post-Unification Wage Growth in East Germany. Vers. Working Paper Number 304. Nov. 1998. Yale University and NBER. 30 May 2008
Ladd, Brian. The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape. Chicago: University of Chicago P, 1998.
Von Hallberg, Robert. Literary Intellectuals and the Dissolution of the State. Chicago: University of Chicago P, 1996.
Youth
My subtopic is identity of Berlin youth. Specifically, how has the identity of the generation born after 1989 formed in relation to the fall of the Berlin wall? If every individual has many layers to their identity, one layer of these Berlin youth must include their youth and the fact that they, unlike the older generations, grew up without directly experiencing the Berlin wall. I wish to probe individual identities of Berliners born after 1989 in order to understand whether they are ruled by this sphere of separation, or if they are more loyal to their national, ethnic, or religious sphere. Does the memory of the wall still manifest itself in their lives? If so, it may be a testament to the significance of the wall and its lasting effects on Berlin as a whole. If not, perhaps it shows change brought by time or resilience of the city.
Wladimir Kaminer wrote in Russian Disco, “Nothing is the real thing here, and everyone is at the same time himself and someone else” (89). Is this statement true for the youth of Berlin, and, if so, how do they reconcile these separate identities? If Turkish youth are seen as Turkish, might they still consider themselves German? I want to characterize identity by looking at the manifold identities of each individual. It is tempting but untrue, however, to believe that German youth are tossed by the tides of their surroundings without a strict say. Indeed, the German word for youth’s tendency to assert themselves is “Selbstbehauptung” (Yates). Thus, I believe that primary identity is the meta-identity: how the youth see themselves.
By understanding youth identities, I will be able to see which walls have been built, and which have been torn down. In how many dimensions do Berlin youth undergo Andreas Glaeser’s “experience of otherness” (8)? A study extrapolated identity from a Stylized Turkish German language, noting that in those who use neither standard German nor a mother tongue “a youth identity of deviance and otherness is presented” (112). Is there still a wall between East and West Berlin youth? If so, is it the old wall of their parents or a new wall formed after the end of the concrete wall? Are there new walls between the immigrant and native German youth, or are there rebels and outcasts that do not conform to any identity? What about the walls of imposed identity? In Fatih Akin’s Head On, a dizzying junction of imposed identities motivates the (ultimately tragic) actions of the young characters. Is the common collective nature of youth identity able to tear down the “wall in the heads of the people” (Ladd, 30)? Through all of their individual diversity, youth of Berlin have a deeply layered collective identity that I want to explore, identify, and connect to Berlin’s urban identity.
Research Methods:
Prano:
Case studies and interviews: immigrant youth, native German affluent youth, and non-affluent youth. These methods will give me the opportunity to observe German youth in a natural, noninvasive environment. I will hopefully be able to converse and observe their attitude towards identity and related topics. The questions will not be direct necessarily. Here I observe Zeisel’s ideas of dynamically and variably intrusively observing environmental behavior, as a recognized outsider, and a range of marginal versus full participant (marginal in brief interviews, full in case studies).
Observations: these will be observations of art, space, and people that inherently reveal something about identity. According to Zeisel, this observation is intended to “find reflection of previous activity not produced”. Within his context, I’ll try to look for connections, separations, and displays of self through personalization, identification, group membership, public messages, and illegitimate displays such as graffiti. Instead of design decisions, I will look for the context of Berlin, city as space, and city as an identity. I will be a secret outsider, hopefully not too obvious a tourist.
At this point, I do not wish to conduct a written survey because I do not think it would accurately represent identity since people do not usually think about identity so directly.
My main limitation is that I will not necessarily get an accurate overview of German youth. Biases and assumptions will arise when extrapolating from observations. A challenge will be to find the youth and employ the right dynamic so that they will let me know what they really think.
Cultural Sensitivity:
Prano:
I will select case studies through contacts I establish this summer, and through Manuela. I will also consider Schlesische 27 and other youth groups. I will be very clear in my purpose and intent before beginning to ask questions. I want to befriend youth so that they will be comfortable talking to me, but I must prevent betrayal of friendship trust make my research position clear. To guarantee confidentiality and anonymity, I will not use real names or include personal details in my research conclusions. If necessary, I will create a waiver form for the research participants.
Schedule:
Week 1: find contacts and cases/youth to participate
Week 2: conduct interviews, shadow youth, make observations
Week 3: conduct interviews, shadow youth, make observations, follow more detailed leads
Week 4: draw conclusions, integrate with group
Bibliography
Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities. London: Rutgers UP, 1983. 12 June 2008 .
Eksner, Julia H. Ghetto Ideologies, Youth Identities and Stylized Turkish German. Berlin: Lit Verlag Berlin, 2007. 12 June 2008 .
Glaeser, Andreas. Divided in Unity: Identity, Germany, and the Berlin Police. Chicago: University of Chicago P, 2000. 12 June 2008 .
Head On. Dir. Fatih Akin. DVD. 2004.
Kaminer, Wladimir. Russian Disco. London: Ebury P, 2002.
Ladd, Brian. Ghosts of Berlin. Chicago: University of Chicago P, 1997.
Yates, Miranda, and James Youniss. Roots of Civic Identity: International Perspectives on Community Service. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999. 12 June 2008 .
Zeisel, John. Inquiry by Design: Tools for Environment-Behavior Research. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Honors Berlin Site. 12 June 2008
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