The vernacular and the monumental: memory and landscape in post-war Berlin

Abstract

Recent geographical literature has given extensive consideration to monumental landscapes and collective memory. Vernacular landscapes have been given limited attention, though they too bear testimony to collective memory. The vernacular and monumental are intertwined in urban space, and ambiguity and fluidity mark their border, yet their distinction remains significant. The monumental sustains collective memory, linking the past, present and future. The vernacular provides spatial forms for the routines of everyday life. Yet, professionals and critics often interpret and present the vernacular as a symbol of collective memory, or a monument, rather than recognizing that collective memory in the vernacular is critical when centered on the complex relation between space and lived experience. The case study of Berlin during post-WWII reconstruction as well as the reconstruction following reunification demonstrates consistency in problems arising from treating the vernacular as the monumental.