Beyond Berlin

By: European Stories from Berlin to Beyond.
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  • Summary

  • Beyond Berlin brings you stories big and small that start in Berlin and look eastwards to where the heart of the continent beats and its future is shaped. A journey through history, personal memories, books and stories that embody the spirit of a Europe that has much to tell of its past, but also much to build for its future.

    beyondberlin.substack.com
    Valentina Giannella
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Social Sciences World
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Episodes
  • "You shall fly, dove of peace; Tell everyone here, that we never want war again: We want peace."

    "You shall fly, dove of peace; Tell everyone here, that we never want war again: We want peace."
    Nov 3 2024

    In this episode, we explore the complicated relationship between East Germany (GDR) and its proclaimed commitment to peace. The GDR built an entire national identity around the idea of peace, embodied in the figure of the dove, which appeared in murals, posters, and even songs taught to children. Yet, this commitment came with profound contradictions, as the GDR actively supported militarization, armed foreign states, and repressed domestic pacifism, all while promoting itself as a “State of Peace.”

    In today’s world, peace is again a political buzzword, but the freedom and justice necessary for true peace are often missing from the conversation. This episode traces how similar messages of peace in the GDR served as instruments for propaganda and control, setting a chilling precedent in Cold War-era politics and offering a lesson on the enduring power of symbols.

    ● Key Moments in the Episode:

    Peace on 2024 Election Posters in Germany – How political parties across the spectrum, from the SPD to the AfD, are employing "peace" as a slogan, each with its own twist.

    A Brief History of the Peace Dove in the GDR – From Picasso’s lithograph to East German propaganda, the dove became a central image in the GDR’s narrative of peace, used both in Berlin’s public art and educational songs like the one by Erika Schirmer.

    The GDR as a 'Friedensstaat' (State of Peace) – Examining the GDR’s ideological positioning as a peace state under Marxist principles and its tension with Western capitalist “imperialism.”

    Militarization in the Name of Peace – How militarization permeated the GDR society, from youth indoctrination to the National People's Army (NVA), and culminated in mandatory military service and arms exports.

    Arms Exports and Foreign Military Presence – The GDR’s paradoxical role as an arms dealer and military advisor, with involvement across Africa, the Middle East, and other regions, all in the name of supporting "peaceful" socialist allies.

    Pacifist Movement in West Germany and GDR's Influence – How the GDR and USSR exploited West German pacifism to counter NATO while suppressing East German peace activists who challenged militarization at home.

    The Legacy of Peace in Germany Today – Reflection on how the GDR’s legacy of “peace” still influences contemporary Germany’s political landscape and public memory, especially in East Germany.

    ● Bookshelf

    * Wolfgang Klietz, Waffenhändler in Uniform (Arms dealer in uniform), 2024

    * Thomas Großbölting, Friedensstaat, Leseland, Sportnation? DDR-Legenden auf dem Prüfstand (Peace state, reading country, sporting nation? GDR legends put to the test), 2013

    * Klaus Storkmann, Geheime Solidarität - Militärbeziehungen und Militärhilfen der DDR in die "Dritte Welt (Secret solidarity - military relations and military aid from the GDR to the ‘Third World), 2012

    * MDR Online Dossier: Geheime Kriege der DDR (Secret wars of the GDR), free to read, German

    * DDR Museum online, Die riedenstaube (The dove of peace), free to read, German

    ● Music credits

    In addition to the Royalty Free Music and Sound Effects Libraries, here you will find some seconds of the "Kleine weiße Friedenstaube" song by Erika Schirmer, which I embed here and partially reproduce in the podcast - performed by the DDR Children's Choir "Walter Ulbricht" of the Dresden Instrumental Group under the direction of Manfred Winter - for historical documentation (not commercial purpose).



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    29 mins
  • The Humboldt Forum: Berlin’s Palace of Paradoxes.

    The Humboldt Forum: Berlin’s Palace of Paradoxes.
    Oct 18 2024

    This episode explores the complex history and controversies surrounding Berlin's Humboldt Forum. We begin with an introduction to Berlin's layered history and the Humboldt Forum as a controversial landmark, highlighting the clash between its neo-baroque exterior and modern interior. The narrative then delves into the architectural journey of the site, discussing the Humboldt Forum's predecessors: the Berlin City Palace and the Palace of the Republic.

    We examine the series of demolitions and reconstructions that have taken place, from the Berlin City Palace's 15th-century origins to its WWII destruction, and the subsequent rise and fall of the Palace of the Republic as an emblem of East German identity. The episode also covers the contentious debate over preserving or demolishing the Palace of the Republic.

    The cultural significance of the Palace of the Republic in East German society is explored, including its role as a venue for diverse events ranging from concerts to political assemblies. We discuss the pivotal role of music in 1980s West and East Germany, and how the Palace became a stage for international music stars.

    The narrative then shifts to the Palace's involvement in the events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall, including the GDR's 40th anniversary protests, Gorbachev's visit, and the historic vote for reunification within the Palace of the Republic.

    The episode concludes by examining the Palace's final years, including the discovery of asbestos contamination, its temporary repurposing for cultural events, and ultimate demolition. We then explore the Humboldt Forum's construction and its current role as a reflection of Germany's ongoing reconciliation with its colonial past, the controversy surrounding its funding, and its evolving place in Berlin's cultural landscape.

    Links & Resources

    ● Humboldt Forum Website: https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/

    ● Exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic" https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/laufzeitangebot/exhibition/hin-und-weg-der-palast-der-republik-ist-gegenwart-119504/

    ● Dirk Oschmann's book "Der Osten: eine westdeutsche Erfindung" https://www.ullstein.de/werke/der-osten-eine-westdeutsche-erfindung/hardcover/9783550202346

    Music Credits

    ● For background music and SFX: Pixabay

    ● For national and international hymns: public domain



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    41 mins
  • Berlin, October 7.

    Berlin, October 7.
    Oct 7 2024
    What can be added to the flood of words - some pathetic, some ambiguous - that flowed across Europe yesterday and today on the anniversary of 7 October? What more can be said to convey the atmosphere here in Berlin in these suspended days?Today, flags are flying at half-mast on all public buildings in the city. When it comes to symbolic gestures, Germany is unrivalled in Europe. Tonight, President Steinmeier has attended an ecumenical service in memory of the pogrom victims. Chancellor Olaf Scholz predictably recorded a video statement yesterday.What about substance - both human and political? Since yesterday, Berlin's walls have been covered with spray-painted slogans calling for 'Free Gaza' and 'Free Palestine'. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations, repeatedly authorised in the hope that they would be peaceful, were again broken up by the police on Saturday and Sunday. Predictably, these rallies quickly shifted from calls for Palestinian "freedom" to advocacy of Israel's destruction and expressions of solidarity with Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic and Hamas. This development follows a familiar pattern: incitement to racial hatred, calls for genocide and support for terrorist organisations banned in Germany - all criminal offences. Such a result is hardly surprising.Then there are the GDR-DDR nostalgics - self-proclaimed true pacifists who still fondly remember the state whose foundation is celebrated on 7 October, coinciding with Vladimir Putin's birthday. These nostalgics have revived their old solidarity with Palestine by waving Palestinian flags. One such flag-waver is my neighbour, a practising Catholic. This might be acceptable if the Israeli and Lebanese flags were flying next to him, because a true Catholic should be committed to universal peaceful coexistence. But no - when it comes to Israel, when it comes to Jews, peace is never universal.A few hundred metres from my home stands a famous East Berlin monument: the colossal head of Ernst Thälmann, founder of the German Communist Party (KPD). A hero in his own right, deserving some respect. And yet last night the base of the statue was defaced with the red triangle symbol of Hamas - the new swastika - and the slogan 'Free Gaza'. This has happened twice in the space of a year: December 2023 and October 2024.It's comforting to think that Europe's only problem with anti-Semitism is 'imported' from Arab countries via migrants. But that's not the case. It's comforting to think that those who defaced Thälmann's statue were poorly integrated second- or third-generation children of immigrants. But that's not true either. The area is predominantly inhabited by native German youths who, unlike migrants, are well aware of Thälmann's identity.It's convenient to believe that our European leaders - Macron, Baerbock and others - are exerting pressure and criticism "for Israel's own good". To some extent this is true. But to give credibility to our criticism, we must first face up to what's happening on our own streets and in our offices in Berlin.A year ago, colleagues from the company's self-proclaimed Arab community offered me Arab sweets in an office I visited. At the time, I didn't ask what they were celebrating. Later I realised it was Monday, 9 October 2023. They were commemorating the events of the previous weekend. In the same offices, being openly Israeli or Jewish is discouraged - a reality that predates 7 October. Notably, this attitude comes not from Arab colleagues, but from German, French, Bulgarian and Italian ones.Berlin, we have a problem - right here among us. This problem exists regardless of how Israel conducts its war - well, badly, disproportionately, or perhaps in the only way possible. It's a war that Israel didn't start, and one in which, unlike in 2001, none of us have sought to engage as a united Western front. We've left Israel to deal with it on its own, or with some US support. Europe? Absent, except for Baerbock's fruitless trips and Josep Borrell's often counterproductive statements as the EU's foreign policy representative.Let's go back to Berlin, the heart of Europe. Here and now, instead of endlessly reciting "Never Again Is Now" like a Virgin Mary's novena, we must face the reality of a resurgent, eternal anti-Semitism. This hatred sometimes masquerades as anti-Zionism, sometimes not.In a lengthy editorial today (in German, paywalled) Matthias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer - which owns Bild, Welt, Politico and Business Insider - tackles the issue head-on and delves into its roots: The eternal anti-Semite has haunted the world for centuries [...] and is now experiencing its politically correct revival in the woke movement at universities and elsewhere. Where does this come from? And what is the cause of woke and non-woke, right-wing, left-wing and Islamist anti-Semitism? The shortest and most succinct answer has four letters: envy.In his book "Why the Germans? Why the Jews?" the German historian Götz Aly reveals how deeply ...
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    3 mins

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