The Identification of Memorialization and Art

Memorialization and its Effects on National and Urban Identities

Anna von Ravensberg

Reenacting German and American Identities - Berlin and Jena, Summer 2015
University of Washington Honors Program

Abstract
Memorials and monuments are lenses into the past, often depicting events integral
to a nations history and formation. Our group is interested in investigating different types
of memorialization in Berlin and connecting these structures back to national and urban
identities. There are several different types of memorials that we intend to explore, such
as government commissioned memorials, uncommissioned memorials, historical
buildings, and unintentional memorials. Likewise, we view memorials as non-static
structures; monuments can change over time, both influencing and being influenced by
individuals who interact with them. Therefore, we plan on studying the ways that
memorialization practices affect the formation and constant reformation of both urban
and national identities. We hope to further our project by discovering to what extent these
memorials serve as a representation of the national or urban populace, and how this
representation leads to practices of exclusion and inclusion. Our project will focus on
several different forms of data collection-- primarily interviews with a variety of people,
but also observations on memorial sites, and general surveys. We also intend on speaking
with students and instructors at Humboldt- Universitt zu Berlin and Friedrich-SchillerUniversitt Jena to get their perspective on German and Berlin history. Through our
individual and group investigations, we will answer our main research questions: How do
practices of memorialization compare in the United States and Germany? To what extent
do memorialization and street art represent a changing Berlin identity? How do sites of
commemoration resulting from the East/West divide and the fall of the Third Reich both
highlight and shape a shifting Berlin identity? What are different people nowadays think
about Nazi architecture, and how does that represent the shift of German identity
throughout these years?

Question
While in Berlin, I will focus on the connections between street art and memorials,
and how these relate to the identities of Berliners and Germans. Specifically, I would like
to answer: TowhatextentdoBerlinersidentifytheBerlinWallasamemorialorasan

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openairgallery,andhowdoesthisrepresentachangingBerlinidentity? Berlin is a
dynamic, global city, with a constantly changing identity due to its increasingly diverse
population. I want to explore how this identity is changing, in hopes of understanding
where this urban identity originated from (what distinguished Berlin as Berlin from the
rest of Germany? From the rest of the world?) and how this identity will continue to be
developed. Monuments are nothing if not selective aids to memory: they encourage us to
remember some things and to forget others. The process of creating monuments,
especially where it is openly contested, as in Berlin, shapes public memory and collective
identity (Ladd, p. 11). As Ladd depicts, memorials reflect on the shared history of a
population, and it will be important to find who identifies with the Berlin Wall and the
East Side Gallery, and just as important, who doesnt, and why. What do these people
identify the Berlin Wall as? Consequently, how do these people identify themselves?
What is, assuming there is one, the connection between these identifications? What is the
collective identity associated with the Berlin Wall? This will give insight into Berlins
historical identity, and this identitys perception today. Street art, on the other hand, is a
way for minorities and immigrants, who often are overlooked in society, to give a voice
to the issues that impact them. These minorities and immigrants are an integral part of
Berlins modern, shifting population and identity, and it is therefore important to
understand where these perspectives emerge from, and why. Do these groups identify
themselves as Berliners? As Germans? Why or why not? Consequently, how do these
groups identify Berlin memorials that are supposed to instill collective identity?

Background
Monuments and Memorialization
Monuments are broadly defined as anything that is enduring; an ancient building
or site that has survived... because of its historical significance (Mitter, 2013, p. 159).
Likewise, Harjes (2005) describes the main three functions of memorials: to mourn and
commemorate the dead, to educate their audiences, and to politically and socially
represent contemporary German citizens (p. 139). However, several different types of

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monuments exist and have different effects on those who interact with the sites. For
example, Mitter (2013) claims that there are two different kinds of memorials: durable
and ephemeral. Durable monuments are material ones such as sites, buildings, and
images, while ephemeral monuments are transitory and mobile ones made of fragile
materials (p. 159). For the purposes of our project, we will focus on connecting national
and urban identities to four different types of monuments found in Berlin and other
countries: commissioned monuments, uncommissioned monuments, historical buildings,
and unintentional monuments.
National and Urban Identity
The formation of a nation has been highly documented in the literature, and Sharp
(1996) describes this process as the repetition of symbols that come to represent the
nations origin and uniqueness (p. 98). Likewise, even though it is not possible for all
members of any nation to know even a small fraction of the other citizens of the country,
a sense of national identity is achievable because nations are communities, [containing]
very real bonds... perceived as linking distant people in the same territory (p. 98). Mitter
(2013) focuses extensively on the connections between memorials and national identity,
specifically focusing on the phenomenon of collective memory, which has a dialectical
relationship with historical reconstructions of the past because both contribute to the idea
of nationhood (p. 163). The idea of a nation is described as a construct that serves to
forge a sense of unity and the feeling of us versus them. Nationhood, then, is upheld
and constructed through collective memory, which helps to fix our identity in the
modern re-use of the past (p. 163). Through this analysis, we can see that
memorialization, which plays a role in establishing a collective memory, has a huge
influence on the formation and upkeep of a national identity, a topic which we will be
developing further through our individual research questions.
Commissioned Memorials
We define commissioned memorials as monuments that are constructed with
consent or direction from a governing body. Because a group that represents the large

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community, city, or nation builds these memorials, a very specific and carefully planned
narrative is constructed through these monuments, often attempting to speak for an
entire population. For example, Harjes (2005) describes in detail the intricacies of the
Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, a publically funded memorial established in
2005 (p. 138). She describes the purpose for this memorial as being the unified
governments wish to set a signal of integration: the integration of east and west German
collective memory which eventually became almost synonymous to a democratic form
of collective memory (p. 141). In a similar vein, Sodaro (2013) writes about The Jewish
Museum, established in Berlin in 2001 (p. 77). The Jewish Museum was not intended to
be a Holocaust museum, but instead to focus on a celebration of German-Jewish culture
and history (p. 77). Sodaro hypothesizes that the construction of this museum, then, is
considered to be a countermemorial museum because it rejects the categorization of a
Holocaust memorial and thus challenges the typically self-reflexive purposes other
memorial sites serve (p. 76-77).
Uncommissioned Memorials
While a governmental body publically funds commissioned memorials,
uncommissioned memorials are privately sponsored. Because the monuments then are
representative of the goals of a private group or individual, the narratives offered through
the memorial are often different than a commissioned memorial. Harjes (2005) describes
one example of an uncommissioned memorial, a countermonument known as the
stumbling stone project by Gunter Demnig. This memorial features metal plates and
signs being installed in various places around Berlin, each with a reference to the
systematic killing of the Jewish population, such as plaques denoting a victim of the
Holocaust installed in front of their former place of residence (p.145). Because of the
decentralized structure of the monument, people do not seek out these commemorations
like they would a commissioned memorial, but rather something they stumble upon and
are interrupted by (p. 144). As Harjes points out, uncommissioned memorials have no
obligation to support a particular vision of national identity and in this way are able to
create a more organic form of collective memory, one that sprouts from individual
interpretation rather than government construction (p. 144-5).

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Historical Buildings and Other Unintentional Memorials
Many times, memorials are not intentionally created, but rather become
memorials after they had lost the purpose for which they were built (Mitter, 2013, p.
162). For example, Nazi architecture riddles many German cities, including Berlin, even
though they were once used to further Hitlers Nazi regime. Despite this sordid past,
many of the Nazi buildings, such as Zoologischer Garten rail station, the 1936 Olympic
Stadium, and many government buildings, are integrated into daily Berlin life, albeit
serving a different function now than in the 1930s (Nazi Past Lives on in Berlins
Buildings, 2005.) Thus, these buildings have become a sort of hidden memorial, as
they are representative of German history but are not distinctly marked as sites of
remembrance. Perhaps the most striking example of an unintentional memorial is the
Berlin Wall, originally serving to divide East and West Germany, but has since
transitioned into a monument that is maintained through government funding. Likewise,
street art can function as an unintentional memorial, especially when considering the
Berlin Wall. As described by Eva Youkhana (2014), street art often serves as a way for
marginalized or oppressed groups to have their voices heard, and can be considered a
memorial for their own experiences, often ignored in hegemonic narratives.
Individual Background
Berlin is world-renowned for its colorful yet often controversial street art. Over
time, graffiti has switched from aesthetically pleasing public art to collective and
collaborative art with a message. As Eva Youkhana (2014) explains, creative activism
and urban art are increasingly being used as an instrument to collectively re-appropriate
the urban space and thus articulate themselves as being part of the urban collective, being
an urban citizen (p. 175). An example of this appropriation is with the Berlin Wall, in
particular the East Side Gallery, which once signified a clear divide between the Socialist
East Berlin and the Democratic West, but now serves as a canvas for modern artists to
express and bring to light important issues. With the fall of the Wall in 1989, the East
Side Gallery became a forum for artists to express their distaste for the former Soviet
Bloc, WWII themes still present in the world, reunification, environmental issues, human

7
rights, etc. By 1993, when the East Side Gallerys preservation was officially decreed,
word had spread that this was the place to experience the historic Wall (Ladd, p. 35).
Preservation of the East Side Gallery is an example of how street art and memorialization
work hand-in-hand to represent Berlins changing identity into a global city with farreaching influence. This is important as recognizing a developing identity through art is
the first step in understanding why and how a collective identity is changing.

Research Methods
Much of my data gathering consisted of interviews, surveys, and text analysis. I
started by visiting the East Side Gallery in order to get a feel for the layout of the site, and
to analyze what stood out to me for further research. At my beginning of the East Side
Gallery on Mhlenstrae, near Oberbaumbrke, stood murals depicting the news of
1989- the fall of the Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, Judaism and the presence of
Israel, etc. It was at this of the Wall that I saw the Dmitri Vrubels famed mural My God,
Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love (Figure 1). This image depicts the kiss in 1979
between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker during the 30th anniversary celebration of
the founding of the GDR. While the Cold War is still visible in many areas of the world
today, I assessed this as an early image of the Wall, as its use of Honecker and
Brezhnev as Cold War actors, and depiction of a Cold War event, and the use of Russian
as the primary language (placed above and on the painting, before German although the

8
image is in Germany) of the work, despite
German being the main language of Berlin,
made me feel as if I was looking into the
past as opposed to experiencing a modern
painting.
By moving down the Wall, I realized
the images before me turned away from
1990s current events to modern struggles
with environmentalism and human rights. In
many ways, I felt as if I was reading the
Wall as a book, detailing not only the history
Figure 1- "My God, Help Me to Survive This
Deadly Love" by Dmitri Vrubel

of a monument, but also of a city and of the

world. I then arrived at the

uncommissioned side of the Wall (Figure 2), where I reached the chapter of the book
currently being written. Much graffiti filled the other side of the Wall, and I witnessed
groups of people spray-painting their messages onto the concrete. It was here that I saw
the Wall as an interactive space, no longer a border, no longer a monument, but an open
gallery and canvas inviting participation. The two sides of the Wall became quite
obvious, leading me to ask- is the Wall a memorial or is it an open-air gallery?
Next, I moved to widespread research regarding the Berlin Wall. This consisted of
researching the origins of the East Side Gallery, its preservation, contributing artists, and
current controversy. To start, while the East Side Gallery is technically a protected site by
law, it is the East Side Gallery Artists Initiative who has taken it upon them to maintain
preservation of the murals. Berlin has three pieces of the Wall still in tact: theBerlinWall
MemorialatBernauerstrae,theTopographyofTerror,andtheEastSideGallery.But
whiletheBerlinWallMemorialandTopographyofTerrorFoundationarefurther
supportedbythestateandthefederalgovernment,theEastSideGallerycurrently
receivesnosecured,longtermfundingfromBerlin(Yi,2013).Allfundingtosupport
theupkeepofthesitecomesfromtheArtistsInitiativegroup,althoughtheorganization
hasnoclaimoverthesite.TheArtistsInitiativegroupdoesntworkwithoutcontroversy

9
though.In2009,thegroupundertookamassive
restorationprojectforthemuralsalong
Mhlenstrae,althoughoriginalartistssuchas
DmitriVrubelclaimedtheInitiativedidnotnotify
himoftheserefurbishmentsprior.Mypictureis
ruined(Gbel,2009),wasVrubelsresponse.
ThisstruggleovertheWallspreservationand
subsequentownershipofthepiecesledmetoask:
Who owns the Wall? If a memorial(inthiscase
theEastSideGallery)representscollective
identity,cansomeonecontroltheperceptionofa
memorialordoesthepublicdothat?
ThenextarticlesIranacrosstalkedabout
themovementoftheWallaroundtheworldto

Figure 2-"Uncommissioned" side of the

East Side Gallery

promoteart.TheWendeMuseuminLosAngelesheldanexhibitionin2009tocelebrate
the20thanniversaryofthefalloftheWall.PiecesoftheBerlinWallwerecutupand
shippedtoLosAngeles,whereestablishedandemergingartists,includingThierryNoir,
anoriginalpainteroftheWall,wereinvitedtopaintthepieces.Thekeyimpetus
behindTheWallProjectwastoreplicatetheBerlinWallsfunctionasasiteforpolitical
andpersonalexpression,throughreproducingelementsoftheartandcreativitythatit
onceinspired(TheWallProject).ThesesegmentsremaininLosAngelesforthe
foreseeablefuture.Berlin will long remain the city of theWall,eveniftheconcreteends
upinFlorida,becausetheWall,asanunintentionalmonument,cametodefinetheurban
spaceofBerlin.Itwasthusanexemplary,ifbynomeanstypical,caseofamonument
givingformtocollectiveidentity(Ladd,p.37).ButhowdoestheBerlinWallgiverise
toBerlinscollectiveidentityifitnolongerstandsinthecitythatgaveititsnamesake?It
washereIasked:WheredoestheWallendandtheartbegin?WhendoestheWallcease
tobeaWallandsimplyacanvas?
FromthereIbegantoreadonpreservationoftheEastSideGalleryfromthe
perspectiveoftheartists,adebatethathascontinuedtoday.ThierryNoir,asstated

10
previously,wasanoriginalartistoftheEastSideGallery.UnlikeDmitriVrubels
statementabove,Noirdoesntbelievehismuralcouldeverberuinedinitscurrentstate.
Withthismethodofspeedandunsophistication,itwasjustimpossibletoruinmy
paintings.[Noir]couldalwaysdoitagain(Yi,2013).HereweseewhyNoircurrently
servesasViceChairmanoftheEastSideGalleryArtistsInitiative,anorganizationthat
openlybelievesinrestorationofthe
Wall,ofdoingitagain.However,a
fellowartistoftheWall,JimAvignon,
morallydeteststhepreservationofnot
onlytheGallery,butofartingeneral.
In[Avignons]eyes,theGallerys
artworkasdistinctfromtheconcrete
wallitselfisnotamonumentworth
preserving(Yi,2013).Avignon
viciouslyopposesrestorationofthe
Gallery,believingtheartshouldbe
allowedtodecay,andcontinuously
interactwiththepublic(inotherwords,
ifthepublicdecidestowriteuponthe
art,thenletitbe).AsAvignonsaid,
Figure 3-Luxury condominium built in former
"Death Strip" at East Side Gallery

Workingonthestreet,onawall
youacceptthatitsgoingtochange,that

somebodysgoingtoaddsomethingandwriteoverit.Ievenlikethat(Yi,2013).The
Wallisnotastaticstructure,butaforum,aplaceforeveryonetointeractappropriately
(howevertheindividualdefinesthat)withtheWallandtheartdependingonthevalue
theyseeinit.ThiswaswhywhenIvisitedtheEastSideGallery,Isawsomepeople
takingpicturesofthemurals,andotherswritingonthem.Symbols and monuments are
invested with their meaning through human action, so we can best understand the Wall
(and its physical and metaphoric demise) by looking at the way it has been treated
(Ladd, p. 10). Thisbeggedthequestions:To what extent does an artist have a say in how

11
their art is maintained once it enters the public sphere? How does arts message change
when it connects with the community?
In addition, I researched the luxury condominium I spotted between the East Side
Gallery and the River Spree (Figure 3), a stark symbol of extravagance in an otherwise
desolate landscape. I found this complex was built in the former Death Strip of the
Wall, where soldiers guarded the border intensely,andmanylosttheirlivestryingto
crosshere.Therewasmuchcontrovery
surroundingitsbuilding,aspiecesof
theWallweretoberemovedinorder
tobringmaterialstothesite,and
operationthatwasmetwithabundant
protest.Thisledmetoask:Howdo
peopleseetheWalltoday?Does
removingpiecesoftheEastSide
Galleryremoveitsvalue,oraddtoit?
Allthisinformationledmetorefine
myoriginalresearchquestiontothe
onepresentedintheQuestion
sectionofthispaper,andcreatemy
surveyquestionsthatIpresentedto

MemorializationandNationalIdentity

WeareresearchersfromtheUniversityofWashingtonwhoareinterestedinlearning
abouttheconnectionsbetweenmemorializationandnationalidentity.Weappreciate
yourparticipationinthispreliminarystudy.Allresponsesareanonymous.Ifyouhave
questions,pleaseask.

Demographicsinformation:
Age:___________________________
Gender:________________________
DoyouconsideryourselfGerman?__________________________
IfyoudonotconsideryourselfGerman,whatnationalitywouldyouconsider
yourself?
______________________________
DoyouconsideryourselfaBerliner?_________________________

PartI
1.WhatcomestomindwhenyouthinkoftheBerlinWall?Explainyouranswerbriefly.

2.DoyouidentifytheBerlinWallmoreas
a.amemorialor
b.asanopenairgallery?

Explainyouranswerbriefly.

3.ShouldtheBerlinWallbepreservedas
a. acollectionofartpieces?
b. asamemorial?

Explainyouranswerbriefly.

AmericanStudiesstudentsat
HumboldtUniversity(Figure4).I

Figure 4- Survey presented to American Studies

students at Humboldt University

wantedtofindaconnectionbetweenpersonalidentificationandhowpeopleidentified
theWall,whichiswhytherearetwoclearpartstothesurvey.Inadditiontohaving
peoplerespondtomysurveywithidentifyingtheWallasamemorialorasanopenair
gallery,Iinvitedresponderstojustifytheiranswers.Inthisway,mysurveywas
quantitativeindeterminingwhatthemostpopularresponsewas,butalsoqualitativein
theanalysisoftheuniqueexplanations,ofwhichbothresponsesIgaveequalweightto
whenreachingmyconclusion.

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Findings
Note:Allquotespresentinthissectionaredirectquotationstakenfromsurveyresponses.
Inthissection,Iwilldetailtheresultsofmysurvey,startingwiththe
demographics.Therewere25participants,ofwhichthereweresevenmalesand18
femalesagedfrom19to33.Answeringthefirstquestion,14participantsselfidentified
asGerman.NineparticipantsdidnotidentifyasGerman,butratheridentifiedas
Slovakian,aglobalcitizen,Norwegian,American/Kenyan,Russian,American,French,
identifiedwithEuropeasawhole/ImoreidentifywithmyhometownBerlin,andas
Antinational.Inaddition,thereweretwoparticipantswhorespondeduniquelytothis
question.OnesaidnotsurewhenaskedifsheidentifiedasGerman,thoughshe
consideredherselfGerman/Arabic,andanotherpartakerrespondednotcompletely
whenaskedifsheidentifiedasGerman,butselfidentifiedasIndian.(Note:BOTH
thesestudentsidentifiedthemselvesasBerlinerslaterinthesurvey).
Inthesecondpartofmydemographicssection,Ihadninestudentswhodidnot
considerthemselvesBerliners,wherethreeconsideredthemselvesGerman,andsix
identifiedwithanothernationality(includingantinational).However,therewere12
studentswhodidconsiderthemselvesBerliners,sixofwhichidentifiedasGermanand
sixwhichidentifiedasnonGermanorasGermanandanothernationality.
Onthefirstquestionoftheactualsurvey,Ihad15participantsmentionkey
historicaltermssuchasColdWar,WWII,separation/segregation/dividedcity,etc.
Tonote,twostudentsexplicitlymentioned,cage,atermIhadneveronceassociated
withBerlinbeforenow.Ofthese15participants,sixconsideredthemselvesBerliners,six
didnotconsiderthemselvesBerliners,onesaidshewasnotaBerlineryet,andtwo
mentionedtheywereaBerlinersomehow.Threeparticipantsmentionedartin
associationwiththeBerlinWall,inparticulartheEastSideGallery.Ishouldnoteone
ofthesethreeparticipantsIalsocountedforhistoricalwordsastheymentionedboth
historyandartinhisorherresponse.Allthreeoftheseparticipantsconsidered
themselvesBerliners.Oneparticipantdidnotanswer,andoneparticipantsaidtheshared
willandforceofthepeoplewhenheorshethoughtoftheBerlinWall,andthisperson

13
identifiedasGermanbutnotasaBerliner.TwostudentsidentifiedtheWallas
historicallysignificant.OneoftheseparticipantsidentifiedasBerlinerbutnotas
German,andmentioned,[theWall]issomethingthatishistoricallysignificantfor
GermanybutdoesntaffectmepersonallybecauseIwasntbornthen.Theother
participantidentifiednotasaBerlinerbutasaglobalcitizen,andtalkedofhowthe
Wallisahugepartofourhistory,andwhilewehavetokeepthatinmind,weatthesame
timemustletgoWereanewnationnowwithoutboundaries.Oneparticipant
mentionedhoweasilyonecanstilltelltheEastandtheWestapart,whileanotherstudent
voicedhowitwasnttoolongagowhentheWallwasstillstanding.
Inthesecondandthirdquestionsofthesurvey,Iaskedstudentstodistinguishthe
Wallaseitheramemorialoranopenairgallery,andofthesetwochoices,howtheWall
shouldbepreserved.Ihad15participantsidentifytheWallasonlyamemorial,where
threeidentifiedasGermanandBerliner,threeidentifiedasneitherGermannorBerliner,
fouridentifiedasGermanbutnotaBerliner,twoidentifiedasGermanandsomehowa
Berliner,andoneidentifiedasnotGermanbutasaBerliner.Acommonexplanationfor
thisresponsewastopreventhistoryfromrepeatingitself,asbeingforcedtofacehistory
keepsitsmessagesandteachingspresent.Onestudentresponded,Artisephemeral,the
Wallisnot,aclearindicationthattheWallshouldonlybeamemorialandnotagallery.
TwostudentsidentifiedtheWallbyitsartpieces,whereoneparticipantidentifiedas
neitherGermannoraBerliner,andoneidentifiednotasGermanbutasaBerliner.
Ishouldnoteherethateventhoughitwasnotanoption,Ihadfivestudentsmake
athirdchoiceonmysurveytosaytheWallshouldbeidentifiedandpreservedasbotha
memorialandanopenairgallery.ThreeparticipantsidentifiedasGermanandBerliner,
oneidentifiedasnotGermanbutasaBerliner,andoneidentifiedasneitheraGerman
noraBerliner.TwoseparateparticipantsmentionedtheyidentifiedtheWallasneithera
memorialnoranopenairgallery,andbothidentifiedasBerliners.Whyshoulditbe
morethanitis,wasoneoftheexplanations.Lastly,oneparticipantidentifiedtheWall
asthehistoryofmycity,andsaidtheWallshouldbepreservedasboth.Theparticipant
identifiedasaBerliner,andhisorherexplanationwasArtcanbehistoricaltoo.

14
Inadditiontoperformingthissurvey,IinterviewedRobinLaumannwhoworksat
theJungeIslamKonferenzandpresentedtoourgroupabouthisorganization.WhenI
initiallyapproachedhimaboutmyproject,Iwantedtoaskabouthowstudentsof
migrantbackgroundsconnecttoGermanhistory,andhowitistaughttothem.
However,whenMr.LaumanninitiallyheardIwasexploringtheBerlinWallandhowit
isidentifiedandpreserved,hehadamoreclosedoffanswer:However,itwillbe
difficultformetotalkabouttheBerlinWall,streetartetc.,becauseImnotfromBerlin
andwasntbroughtupwiththeWallasasymboliciconof(world)history.Laumann
laterexplainedheisfromDortmund,atownover200milestotheeastofBerlin.Ifound
hisresponseinteresting,seeingashowsomanynonBerlinersbornafterthefallfrommy
surveyresponsesstillextendedtheiropinionsabouttheWall,thoughMr.Laumann
refusedto.
SomeofmyfindingsofmysurveymatchedwiththereadingsIfoundwhen
developingthequestions.Forinstance,manystudentsthinktheWallshouldbepreserved
asamemorialwasanideaalsoexpressedbyLadd.Thereasonforpreservationwasthus
toprotectaplaceofnationalmemoryandtokeepalivethelessonoftheWall:the
unbreakableunityoftheGermanpeople(Ladd,p.32).Ontheotherhand,thetwo
participantswhobelievedtheWallshouldnotbepreservedinanywaybroughtup
thoughtsofJimAvignon.In[Avignons]eyes,theGallerysartworkasdistinctfrom
theconcretewallitselfisnotamonumentworthpreserving(Yi,2013).Ifoundthat
thediversityofideasofferedbythestudentsabouttheWallarenotnecessarilyoriginal,
buttheyarenonethelessbestowedbyayouthfulgeneration,anindicationthatthebattle
overpreservationandpresentationoftheBerlinWallandEastSideGalleryisanissue
thatwillsurroundBerlinforyearstocome.

Conclusion
Inconclusion,Ididnotfindacorrelationbetweenhowpeopleidentified
themselvesandhowtheyidentifiedtheWall.Asonecanseefrommyresults,therewas
quitearangeinresponsestohowpeoplebelievedtheWallshouldbeidentifiedand

15
preserved,andagain,theresimplywasnotrendtohowpeopleidentifiedthemselvesby
nationalityandasaBerlinerornot.Iadmit,thiscouldbeduetomysmallsamplesize,
for25peopleiscertainlynotenoughtodrawastrongenoughconclusiononidentity.Or,
mylackofaconclusioncouldbeduetotheassumptionsImadeinmysurveyquestions
thatmayhavemisguidedparticipants.Byassumptions,ImeanIexpectedpeoplewould
identifywithanationality(whichwasnottrueasIhadstudentsidentifywithEuropeas
awholeorasantinational)andtheywouldidentifywithBerlinortheywouldnt
(whichwasalsonottrueasIhadstudentsidentifywithBerlinsomehow).Inaddition,
thewayIphrasedmysurveyquestionsmadestudentsfeelasiftheyhadtomakea
choice.Forinstance,mysecondandthirdquestionassumedstudentswouldchoose
memorialoropenairgallery,anddidnotinitiatetheideathattherecouldbeseveral
otheroptionsonhowsomeonecouldidentifyandpreservetheWall.Iknowthiswasan
assumptionasIhadfiveof25participants,asignificantpercentage,explainthatitshould
bebothamemorialandanopenairgallery.IbelievepreservationoftheBerlinWallwill
continuetobeasubjectfordiscussionforBerlinersandGermans,ifthediversityinmy
surveyresponsesisanyindicationofthefuture.
However,IbelievethatthislackofatrendisindicativeofBerlinsglobalization
andestablishmentasamulticulturalhub.Thedemographicsofmysamplespeakvolumes
tothis.Ihadonly25participants,asmallsamplesizewhenattemptingtofindtrendsin
statistics,yetlookatthediversityIreceivedintheparticipantsselfidentification.Ihad
studentsidentifyingasGerman,Norwegian,Russian,American/Kenyan,studentswho
identifiedwithGermanyandstudentswhodidnot(despitestudyingataGerman
university)andstudentswhoidentifiedwithbothGermanyandBerlin,studentswho
identifiedwithneither,andstudentswhoidentifiedwithBerlinbutnotGermany.Ifound
thislastidentificationquiteintriguing,asIhavegrownupthemajorityofmylifein
Seattle,andIidentifyasaSeattleiteandconsequently,anAmerican.Everyonearound
medoesthesame,asthereisnowayyoucanseparateSeattlefromthecountrythat
housesit.IhaveyettorunintosomeonewhoidentifieswithonlySeattleandnotwith
Americaasawhole.However,withmysurveyresults,Ifounditwasnotuncommonfor
participantstoidentifyasBerlinerbutnotasGerman,atestamenttothediversityof

16
Berlin,andproblemsGermanyhasfacedforseveralyearswithitsstatusasan
immigrantnation.Asmanystudentsofdiversebackgroundschosetoidentifywith
BerlinratherthanGermany,Ibelievethisspeaksvolumestothemulticulturalismof
Berlinasaglobalizedcity.
Asstatedabove,severalstudentsmadeofpointoftellingmethattheWallshould
bebothamemorialandanopenairgallery.IbelievethisspeakstotheWallnotbeinga
staticspace,althoughItriedtotreatitassuchinmysurvey.IbelievedthattheWallmust
beoneortheother,thatthesetwoidentitiesexistedseparatelyandonlyonecouldtruly
definetheWall.ButmyparticipantsshowedmethattheWallisbothamemorialanda
gallery,andmore.Iwasforcedtoaskmyself,whymustwefeeltheneedtodefinethe
Wallasoneidentity?Thisgotmetostartthinkingaboutpeople,andreflectbackonthe
experiencesIvehadinthisprogram.InthesamewaywewanttodefinetheWallbyone
identity,whydowefeeltheneedtoonlyclassifyothersbyoneidentity,usuallywhere
theycomefrom?ThisbringsbackimagesofourtriptotheYouthMuseum,wheremy
groupwassettoexploretheapartmentofyoungPersianwoman(unfortunately,hername
escapesme).AlthoughthereweremanyindicationstoherfamilybeingfromIran,the
majorityofthethingsinherroomreflectedherpassionformusic,art,fashion,and
Berlin.Whenreflectingoneverythingwehadseenintheroom,ourgrouphadthe
opportunitytospeakwiththegirlabouthowsheidentifiesherself.Wetoldherthatwe
knewshewasPersian,butthattherewerentmanythingsindicatingaconnectiontoher
ethnicity.Shetoldusthiswasintentional.WhileherparentsgrewupinIran,shedidnot,
andshehasonlyvisitedonceanddidnotenjoyherselfthere.Shesaidsheisfirstand
foremostaBerliner,andthatthisisherhome.InherperfectGerman,sheexplained
peopleoftenaskwheresheisreallyfrom,andshewillalwayssayBerlin.Whilebeing
Persianisapartofheridentity,itisonlyasmallpart,andsadlypeoplealwayswantto
classifyherbyherethnicity,whichofteneclipsesherpassionsandaspirations,whichare
whataretrulyreflectiveofherpersonalidentity.IbelievethisrealizationiswhereIdraw
thegreatestconclusionfrommyresearch.Inaglobalizedsociety,wemustrealizethat
locationisbecomingirrelevantwhenlearningsomeonesidentity.Justbecausesomeone
looksacertainwaydoesnotautomaticallymeantheyarefromacertaincultureor

17
ethnicity.Askingwheresomeoneisreallyfrom,aswehavelearned,tellsyounothing
aboutwhoapersonis.Whenitcomestoidentityformation,locationisimportant,butit
comesdowntorespectinganindividualenoughtoletthemdefinethemselvesastheysee
fit.
Intermsofafuturestudy,Iwouldbeinterestedinexploringhowpeopleidentify
themselvesintermsoftheirlocation,andwhy.Thisstemsagainfromthedemographics
ofmysurveyresponses,andnotall,butasignificantportionofmyparticipantsidentified
withBerlinbutnotwithGermany.Again,beingfromAmerica,thisishardtounderstand,
aspeoplewhoidentifywiththeirAmericancityusuallyidentifywithAmericaasawhole
aswell.ItwasntuntilIcametoGermanythatIrealizedpeoplefeltsootheredbytheir
largerGermansociety,butfoundsolaceinthediversityofBerlin,thattheycouldidentify
withtheGermancapitalandwiththenationalityoftheirfamilies,butnotidentifywith
Germany.

CulturalSensitivity
Thesurprisesofthisresearchprojectweredefinitelyhowwrongmyassumptions
were!Ibelieved,whencraftingmyquestionsthatIwaswritingastraightforward,easily
accessiblesurveythatwoulddelivermeresultsthatIcouldsimplyquantifyandpresent
toanaudience.However,whenIreceivedtheresultsofmysurvey,IrealizedIhad
severalerrorsinmyassumptions.Asstatedabove,Iassumedthattheparticipantswould
agreewithmethattheWallshouldbeeitheramemorialoranopenairgallery,yetIdid
notconsiderathirdorfourthoption.IfIweretorewritethissurvey,Iwouldincludean
optionthatsaidbothorother:____andallowparticipantstoincludetheirown
response(withjustification,ofcourse).Also,thewaymydemographicquestionswere
setup,Iwouldassumestudentswouldrespondyesornotosayingiftheyidentifyas
GermanorBerliner,andifnotoGerman,whatnationalitytheyidentifywith.Clean,
simple,anotherwaytoclassifymyresultslater.However,Iwasnotpreparedforpeople
toanswerthatwithsomehowBerliner,orthattheyidentifiedasantinationalorwith
Europeasawhole.However,afterourtalkwithCatherine,anartistwhopresentedto

18
ourgroupinBerlin,Inoticedhowshe,justlikeaparticipantinmysurvey,saidshe
identifiedasaEuropeancitizen,notwithonlyGermany(whereshelivesnow)oronly
Finland(whereshelivedandstudiedforseveralyears)oronlyAustria(wheresheisfrom
andwhereherfamilyis).Irealizedthatthisparticipantwasnotanoutlierinmysurvey,
butrepresentativeofanemergingidentitythatdoesntacceptonlyonenationality,but
many.Andmanyotherparticipantsagreed,asIhadfewsurveysthatsaidtheyonly
identifiedwithonecountry.IfIweretoremakethissurvey,Iwouldcertainlyneedtoput
morethoughtintohowIapproachthedemographicquestions.AlthoughIamfroma
countrywherepeopleidentifywithAmericaandmaybeoneothercountrythattheir
familyisfrom,Berlin,Germany,andEuropearenotlikethis,andIcannotassumethat
theyeverwillbe.HowIaskmyquestionsinthissurveyisjustas,ifnotmore,important
thanwhatIask.
ImustalsospeaktothesheersurpriseofexperiencinghowGermany
memorializesthingsversushowtheUSmemorializesthings.AsanAmerican,the
majorityofmemorialspaytributetohowgreatAmericansdiedforanoblecause.Think
ofthePearlHarborMemorial,VietnamMemorial,theLincolnMemorial,etc.Allof
theserepresentthestrengthofAmericainatimethiswastested,yethowAmerica
prevailed.FewmemorialsinAmericaacknowledgethedarksideofAmericaspastthere
isnotributetothewrongsofslavery,segregation,theNativeAmericangenocide,etc.
However,inGermany,withthehistoryofWWIIandtheHolocaustomnipresent,several
memorialsarededicatedtothisdisturbingsideofGermanyspast.Whatcomestomind
istheMemorialtotheMurderedJewsofEuropeinBerlin,nexttotheBrandenburgGate.
Iwasamazedhowwellpresentedthismemorialwas,andhow,eventhoughitwasfreeto
attend,therewereseveralguardsaroundtomaintainthesacrednessofthesite(mostlyto
preventhooligansfromsittingontopofthestructuresofthememorial).Thismemorial
paidhomagetotheuglinessofhistory,butGermanywasdeterminedtorememberthe
mistakessothattheyarenotforgotten,evenifthewoundsarestillfresh.IbelieveLadd
saiditbest:TheWallandotherBerlinmonumentsrecallcontroversialdeeds,mostlyof
therecentpast,deedsthatpreventanyconsensusaboutthesortofthingsmonumentsare
supposedtoembody,suchasnationalidentityoracommonideal.Itisthisdeep

19
uncertaintythatmakesBerlinsuchacontestedlandscape,andcreatesacharged
atmospherethatforeignersfindhardtograsp(Ladd,p.11).IcertainlyagreethatBerlin
heldacultureIneverfeltItrulyunderstood.Isthischargedatmospherewhatallows
Berlinerstofacehistory?Itmademewonder,willtheUSeveropenlypaytributetothe
wrongsofitspastthewayitrespectsissuccesses?
OnelastmajordistinctionIwantedtomakebetweenBerlinandtheUSisthe
treatmentofstreetart.IntheUS,streetartisoftenviewedonlyasgraffiti,andtherefore
unpleasingtotheeye,anuisancethatmustberemoved.However,inBerlin,streetartis
integraltothecollectiveidentity(thankyouLaddfortheterm)ofthecity,andfillsevery
urbanspace.ThesprawlingmetropolitanofGermanyscapitalwouldlookincomplete
withoutitsfamedmuralsstretchingoverthebuildings.Byacceptingstreetartasa
tolerablemediumofexpression,Berlinisalsoinvitinganonymouspeopletospeakup
abouttheissuesthatimpactthematapublicforum.Thisbecomesapowerfultoolfor
thoseunderrepresentedinsociety,suchasminoritiesandimmigrants.Streetartcreatesa
publicdiscussion,onethatrarelyoccurstoday,andIwonderhowtheUSwouldbebetter
servedshouldweallowmorestreetarttoflourish.
Lastly,Iwouldliketohighlightafewstrugglesofthisresearchproject.Firstand
foremost,thelanguagebarrierwasconstantlypresent.Especiallywhenitcameto
creatingmysurvey,IwishIknewenoughGermantocommunicatewithmyaudiencein
theirnativetongue.IsaythisbecausetherewereseveralinstanceswhereGermanwords
didnottranslatetoEnglish,yetcapturedGermanfeelingperfectly(mostnotable
HeimatattheYouthMuseum).Ifeelmyresultsmayhavecomeoutdifferentlyshould
mysurveybeinGerman.Inaddition,Istruggledtomeetwithprofessors,asseveralof
theartprofessorsatHumboldtIwasguidedtotalktobyCindiSchaarschmidtwere
unabletomeetwithme.

20

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