Research project
Research
An educational project documenting the condition of propaganda art in common spaces, including architecture, sculpture, mosaics, and frescoes, and the methods by which these objects may be identified and interpreted.
Research topic
The project examines the condition of propaganda art in common spaces — architecture, sculpture, mosaics, and frescoes — together with the methods by which such objects may be found, identified, and interpreted. The research includes analysis of the objects' original meaning, the changes they have undergone over time, and the intentions behind their creation.
Over the preceding 120 years, each generation in Germany has conducted its own political experiments in an effort to resolve the problems inherited from previous generations. Ideology, and its visual expression in common spaces, shifted accordingly from one generation to the next. Numerous objects that once represented the ideology of the ruling class remain in public spaces, largely unrecognised. With the appropriate knowledge, however, their political message remains legible.
Project aim
Find, attribute and document the current condition of historical artefacts of interest.
The project is educational in character. It does not advocate for the preservation or destruction of any object; such decisions fall to the relevant authorities and property owners.
Financing
City tours are offered in support of the project. As an independent initiative without external funding, the tours serve to share knowledge and observations with visitors to Berlin. Donations received through the tours constitute the sole source of financial support for the project.
Categories of objects
The objects may be divided into three principal categories: architecture, art, and sites of particular historical events.
Architecture
Architecture was an instrument of propaganda. That is why it remains a problematic topic today, and modern approaches to these buildings and architectural ensembles are often used to diminish or mask their planned effect. Architectural objects may be further subdivided into representative, industrial, religious, and residential structures. Each of these subcategories falls within the scope of the project.
Art
Art was repurposed by the NS state. It was not an instrument of self-expression; rather, it was instrumentalised to create 'the German type' and endow it with the qualities the state deemed important. Paintings from this period are not generally exhibited regularly in Germany. Many works are missing, located outside Germany, or held in storage. Frescoes are found mostly in the south of Germany. Mosaics were used primarily as decorative elements for interiors. Sculpture from this era can be found everywhere in Germany, or sometimes in museums.
Value of the objects
The objects catalogued in this project may contribute to the reconstruction of original historical contexts. Their aesthetic qualities, symbols, and messages may be compared with those of other periods and evaluated on that basis. This evaluation may help to determine whether an object represents a rare phenomenon or embodies a unique aesthetic that warrants preservation.
The project does not prescribe what action should follow from such an evaluation. The decision rests with the competent authorities and property owners.
Situation in Berlin
Following extensive wartime destruction and subsequent reconstruction, Berlin and Germany as a whole remain populated with historical objects that assist in reconstructing the context of past events. The identification and explanation of these objects facilitate their distinction from the surrounding environment and contribute to informed discussion about how they may be exhibited and preserved. Many historical artefacts are regularly subjected to vandalism and are the subject of prolonged public debate.
Other regions of Germany
Objects located outside Berlin are also necessary to the project. A larger corpus of material is required for comparative analysis: identifying regional differences, establishing chronological sequences, and noting variations in appearance and function.
Recommended literature
NS Architecture in Berlin
- Donath, Matthias (2005): Bunker, Banken, Reichskanzlei. Architekturführer Berlin 1933–1945. Berlin: Lukas Verlag. ISBN 978-3-936872-51-4.
- Hans Joachim Reichhardt, Wolfgang Schäche: Von Berlin nach Germania: Über die Zerstörungen der „Reichshauptstadt“ durch Albert Speers Neugestaltungsplanungen. Katalog zu einer Ausstellung des Landesarchivs Berlin vom 7. November 1984 bis 30. April 1985. Berlin 1984 (Reprint bei Transit, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-88747-127-9, 11. Auflage).
- Wolfgang Schäche: Architektur und Städtebau in Berlin zwischen 1933 und 1945 – Planen und Bauen unter der Ägide der Stadtverwaltung. Gebrüder Mann, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-7861-1178-2 (2. Auflage 2002). Erschienen als Band 17 der Reihe Die Bauwerke und Kunstdenkmäler von Berlin.
- Rossié, Beate (2022): Kirchenbau in Berlin 1933–1945. Architektur – Kunst – Umgestaltung. Berlin: Lukas Verlag. ISBN 978-3-86732-387-1.
NS architecture all around Germany
- Unabhängige Historikerkommission „Planen und Bauen im Nationalsozialismus" (Hrsg.) (2023): Planen und Bauen im Nationalsozialismus. Voraussetzungen, Institutionen, Wirkungen. 4 Bde. München: Hirmer. ISBN 978-3-7774-4114-6.
- Nerdinger, Winfried (Hrsg.) (1993): Bauen im Nationalsozialismus. Bayern 1933–1945. München: Klinkhardt & Biermann. ISBN 978-3-7814-0360-4.
Various topics
- Behrenbeck, Sabine (1996): Der Kult um die toten Helden. Nationalsozialistische Mythen, Riten und Symbole 1923 bis 1945. Vierow bei Greifswald: SH-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-89498-006-1.
Contribute
Submit information about an artefact
If you are aware of a historical artefact that falls within the scope of this project, you may submit the details below. The information will be sent directly to the project by email.