Abstract
Since German unification in 1990, Berlin has undergone drastic reconstruction. Remnants of the past were unearthed and vestiges of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) dismantled, as the city struggled to redefine itself in the historic city centre. This essay focuses on the Schlossplatz, a site of contentious debate about its appropriate use and aesthetic and architectural construct. The approved design is the façade of the Berlin City Palace, which will house the Humboldt Forum. The Palace suffered significant damage during allied air raids on Berlin and in 1950 the GDR demolished the remains of the structure. By 1976, the GDR had constructed the Palast der Republik [Palace of the Republic] there. In 2003, the German Government decided to raze that structure. Intended to restore a missing architectural link to the historic centre, the reconstruction of the Palace façade has been fraught with controversy. I situate the reconstruction plan within the context of architectural debates during the last 25 years. I analyse the political, social and cultural values that sparked the debates, and pose the questions: How does this reconstruction confront Berlin’s historical legacies? What does a Palace symbolize? What influence will the reconstruction have on other remembrance projects in the city centre?
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