Abstract
Scholars of gentrification often study the visual results of socioeconomic structural change in urban environments, including graffiti removal and historical reconstructions of façades, turning âuglyâ factory ruins into charming residential loft spaces, etc. This article examines the gentrification of Berlinâs former working-class neighborhood Prenzlauer Berg in terms of sound. We present the Knaack Klub as a sonic case study symbolizing the erasure of the voices and culture of Berlinâs long-term residents and argue that contestations over sound, brought on by West German migrants in what can be considered a âhostile takeoverâ of parts of East Berlin, are a key driver of gentrification. Mining visual material including photographs, police reports, court verdicts, real estate advertisements, and street maps for acoustic clues, we are able to synthesize sight and sound, ultimately allowing us to move beyond the surfaceâin this case, building façadesâto study the visual and sonic penetration of a gentrifying neighborhoodâs intersecting public and private spaces. The study of the sonic heritage of neighborhoods or even single buildings helps us to move beyond Wilhelmine façades and the surface of courtyard living to reevaluate the relationship between urban space and community, between architectural history and policy.
Highlights
Scholars of gentrification often study the visual results of socioeconomic structural change in urban environments, including graffiti removal and historical reconstructions of facades, turning âuglyâ factory ruins into charming residential loft spaces, etc
We present the Knaack Klub as a sonic case study symbolizing the erasure of the voices and culture of Berlinâs long-term residents and argue that contestations over sound, brought on by West German migrants in what can be considered a âhostile takeoverâ of parts of East Berlin, are a key driver of gentrification
Mining visual material including photographs, police reports, court verdicts, real estate advertisements, and street maps for acoustic clues, we are able to synthesize sight and sound, allowing us to move beyond the surfaceâin this case, building facadesâto study the visual and sonic penetration of a gentrifying neighborhoodâs intersecting public and private spaces
Summary
Scholars of gentrification often study the visual results of socioeconomic structural change in urban environments, including graffiti removal and historical reconstructions of facades, turning âuglyâ factory ruins into charming residential loft spaces, etc.
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