The Reichstag is a government building in which new and old aesthetics are incorporated into one functioning and aesthetically pleasing building. Two examples of this incorporation are the original writings from Russian soldiers found in the Reichstag, and Fosters Dome. These two pieces emphasize the history of the Reichstag by drawing viewers in visually as well as historically. The piece is aesthetically interesting and therefore draws viewers of any race, age, or gender into the history of the Reichstag.
The graffiti written on the wall of the inside of the Reichstag draws viewers in firstly, because it is graffiti in a government building, which is usually a place where graffiti is not found. The graffiti is written in Cyrillic, and also contains dates on which the graffiti is written. The dates put the graffiti into the context, even to those who are not literate in Cyrillic. The graffiti was written onto original parts of the Reichstag by Red Army Soldiers who had recently conquered Berlin. The graffiti emphasizes victory over the people of Berlin, as well as Germany. This graffiti is also lined with derogatory slurs from the Red Army about Germany women and the sexual acts they would like to do/did to German women following the end of World War II. Most of the salvaged graffiti is located in the Reichstag, but some of it can be found on the roof of the building.
Fosters Dome is an extraordinary piece of architecture found on top of the Reichstag. This dome was started in 1995, which was shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The dome was completed and open to the public in 1999. Fosters Dome is a rendition of the original dome that sat atop the Reichstag prior to the Reichstag Burning of 1933. The original dome was built by Paul Wallot under the discretion of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and was destroyed in the Reichstag Fire of 1933. The original dome was meant to symbolize German national history in addition to emphasizing the parliament. today the glass dome serves unite the public and parliament together in creating a post-war Germany. This is represented by the glass structure of the dome itself. Members of parliament can look up into the dome see the sun representing the dawn of a new era. Viewers can scale the staircase of the dome, or look up, and also get this sense of a bright fresh new start.
Kopenick, Lutz. "Redeeming History? Foster's Dome and the Political Aesthetic of the Berlin Republic."German Studies Review,24. No. 2 (2001), : 303-323 accessed May 16, 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1433478
8 comments:
Cool, I didn't know there was graffiti on the top of the building/the dome area as well. I have only seen the ones in the building downstairs. Thanks for pointing that out.
I found two interesting articles regarding the graffiti in the Reichstag. Both relate to the content and the question whether these should be preserved or not. There was a heated discussion about this issue when the building was renovated in the late 1990s.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/features/smears-upon-the-walls-are-history/176439.article
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/07/the-graffiti-that-made-germany-better/373872/
Like Julia, I didn't realize there was graffiti on top of the Reichstag. Where about was it?
Did anyone else notice what looked like bullet holes with dried blood in them near the elevator in this area? I have a picture that I can post if anyone is interested.
Yah Amanda! I didn't notice that but I think that would be super interesting!
I regret not taking a picture of this graffiti on top of the Reichstag now. It is a little bit hidden. There is a piece in the shape of a triangle (which I am assuming is part of some architecture on the front) that had some graffiti on it. Just from looking at it, the graffiti looks like it was on the backside of some stone in that triangle shape. I found this when I was looking at the cityscape. It is on the other side of the railing (I don't remember which side of the building). I hope that helps a little bit because I can still picture the place where I saw it but it is hard for me to explain.
I forgot to add, the graffiti is all in Cyrillic, and it is in the same messy unorganized style as the parts in the Reichstag. It is also all done in black just like the graffiti in the Reichstag.
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