Study Abroad Reflection 2

Week 2 Prompt: How have your experiences/visits – tours of Kreuzberg, Humboldt area, bunker tour, concentration camp, youth museum visit, school visit, the Stasi museum visit, Reichstag tour, Markus Heider's lecture, Rhissa's and Andre's talks, Janka's workshop, our class lectures and discussions & your own personal experiences and observations - so far made you re-think Berlin and/or German identities. a) compared to the Spring (before you came) b) in relation to the historical and architectural landscape of Berlin (as represented by Ladd in his book) c) in relation to the topics of globalization, borders, migration and the arts (from the Spring seminar)

Our whole experience thus far has made me reconsider my view of German identity and Berlin identity more specifically. Two summers ago I had the chance to study abroad in Munich, the largest city in the state of Bavaria and a place that emulates the traditional German identity many people relate to this country. My time in Berlin has been spent comparing and contrasting the two cities and the two different cultures and historical representations within each city.

Munich was mostly un-phased during the Cold War – the city existed within the former West Germany and therefore spent the time after World War II working to rebuild the damaged left by the war and come to terms with the actions taken in and around the city. Munich has a strong connection to the Third Reich: some of the first meetings of the Nazi party existed within its bierhalls and Crystal Night occurred within its boundaries. Munich also held one of the largest concentration camps, Dachau, and was just hours away from the main Nazi party grounds in Nuremburg. For the most part, the city spent the years after the war trying to rebuild the city to its former standard; before the war an architect visited all the famous buildings in Munich and took pictures of them so they could be rebuilt correctly if they got damaged during the war. This allowed Munich to be restored and allowed it to maintain much of the architecture that is important to its history.

One major difference between the two cities comes from the emphasis placed on WWII history within Munich which is allowed for due to the fact it was mostly untouched by the Cold War. While Berlin is known for the Wall, and the actions taken by the Stasi and the Soviet State, Munich focuses solely on the actions of the Third Reich and importance of their stories to their history. For example, this week we had the chance to visit the Stasi museum and learn about the police actions in the Soviet State but did have not yet visited a museum as a group that focuses on Berlin’s role in WWII. I expected Berlin to do much of the same, however there is a lot more emphasis placed on the Cold War and the existence of the wall than on Berlin’s role in World War II. That is not to say it is completely ignored – this week we visited an underground bunker within Berlin city limits and a concentration camp in the suburbs of Berlin. Ana, Michaila, Karinne and I also had the change to visit the Topography of Terror over the weekend. However, it does seem like the history of the holocaust is sometimes overshadowed by the history of the wall and the divided Berlin.

Additionally, people in Bavaria tend to fit into the traditional foreign expectations of Germany than in Berlin. There is more traditional German dress and food throughout the city, and I feel like there is a lot more pride in being German. Berlin, on the other hand, has much more of an identity around the city than it does the German state. It is interesting to observe and talk to people that don’t focus on their identity of German and instead focus on their role in the city of Berlin. I was surprised to find a lack of “traditional” German culture within the city, but I think it is also more reflective of the population. As opposed to Munich, which has an older population and a lack of immigration, Berlin is definitely a global city with a younger population and a lot of diversity. Many of the people I’ve talked to that live in Kreuzberg and around the city always express the lack of connection to the German identity within the city and the amount of diversity within the city. All of these different have created an experience that is different from what I expected in Berlin, but also raise a lot of questions about identity and the perceived identity of a place from an outside observer. Who am I to say what is German and what is not? Who am I to criticize the focus on Soviet Germany as opposed to the actions taken in Berlin during WWII? The city has its own story and each person has the right to identify in whichever way they chose. It has been incredibly interesting for me to observe and try to understand the differences found in this city.