Latest / The History of Germany: Kingdoms, War, and Rebuilding Europe — Fexingo History / The Berlin Palace: Humboldt Forum and Germany's Identity
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, we've talked about the Reichstag, the Wall, even the Wannsee villa. But there's one building that might be the most contested piece of real estate in all of Germany — the Berlin Palace. Or as it's known today, the Humboldt Forum. Luna: Oh, that's the big reconstruction right on Unter den Linden, isn't it? Lucas: Exactly. And it's a place where multiple Germanys collide — the Baroque monarchy, the Second Empire, the GDR, and now a global museum. Before we dive into the layers, I want to mention something small. You know, we keep this show ad-free for everyone, and it's because of listeners who decide to support us. If you've been getting something out of our conversations, you can help keep them going at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a way to fuel the research and the coffee. Luna: Yeah, it's a nice way to give back. I've done it a couple times. Lucas: Appreciate that. Anyway, let's walk back to the start. The original palace was built in the sixteenth century as a fortress, but it really became the symbol of Prussian power under the Hohenzollerns, especially in the eighteenth century. Lucas: The architect Andreas Schlüter designed the baroque facade — that's the one with the statues and the dramatic roofline. It was a statement that Prussia was a major European player, not just a backwater. For centuries, it was the residence of kings and emperors, right up until 1918. Luna: And then what happened? The kaiser abdicated, but the palace stayed. Lucas: Right, it became a museum, partly. Then World War II came. The palace was heavily bombed, and by 1945 it was a gutted shell. The Hohenzollerns were gone, the monarchy was history, and the palace stood as a ruin in the middle of the Soviet sector. Lucas: The East German leadership made a fateful decision. In 1950, despite some protests, they blew up the remains. They saw it as a symbol of Prussian militarism and monarchy, a relic of everything they wanted to erase. So it was gone. Luna: Wow. I didn't realize they demolished it entirely. I thought maybe parts were saved. Lucas: Some pieces were salvaged, like the portal and some sculptures, but the structure itself was razed. On that empty lot, the East Germans eventually built their own palace — the Palast der Republik, completed in 1976. It was the seat of the Volkskammer, the GDR parliament, and it had restaurants, a bowling alley, even a concert hall. Lucas: It was meant to be a palace for the people, with glass and steel, a stark contrast to the old baroque. For many East Germans, it was a place of everyday life, not just politics — a real part of their memory. Luna: But then the Wall fell, and that building must have been controversial. Lucas: Exactly. After reunification, the Palast der Republik was found to have asbestos problems, and it was closed. Then came the big fight: what to do with the site? Some wanted to keep the Palast, others wanted to rebuild the old palace, and others wanted a modern building or just a park. Lucas: The decision was to rebuild the old palace facade on three sides, with a modern interior, and house the Humboldt Forum inside — a museum of world cultures, including the ethnographic collections from the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. It was a compromise, but it satisfied nobody fully. Luna: So it's like a palimpsest — layers of history on the same spot. Lucas: Yes, and the layers still show. Construction began in 2013, and as they dug, they found medieval and early modern artifacts. The building opened bit by bit, and it's been controversial ever since, especially because of the colonial collections. Lucas: The Humboldt Forum holds thousands of objects from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, many acquired during the colonial era under dubious circumstances. Critics argue that putting them in a reconstructed Prussian palace is like celebrating the very power that took them. The museum has tried to address this with provenance research and dialogue, but it's an open wound. Luna: I remember there was some protest about a cross on the facade. What was that about? Lucas: Ah, the Kreuzberg cross. That's a small, symbolic detail. The original palace had a Latin cross atop the dome, and when they rebuilt, they put a new cross on the cupola. Some people saw it as a religious and imperial symbol, and there were protests. It's still up there, but it's been a flashpoint for how the building represents power. Lucas: The cross, the facade, the collections — it all feeds into a bigger question: what does it mean to rebuild a monument to a monarchy in a democratic republic, and especially when that monarchy was involved in colonialism and war? Luna: It feels like Germany is still negotiating its identity through this building. Lucas: Absolutely. And the debate is not just about the past. It's about who gets to tell the story of the objects inside, and how Germany positions itself as a global actor. The Humboldt Forum is trying to be a place for critical engagement, but it's an uphill battle. Lucas: There's also the question of what's missing. The Palast der Republik was demolished to make way for this, and many East Germans feel their history was erased again. They lost a building that held memories of their lives, however imperfect the state was. That's a loss that can't be rebuilt. Luna: So the site carries the weight of monarchy, war, communism, and now postcolonial museum politics. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why it's such a fascinating case. It's not just architecture; it's a mirror of German history. You can stand on the Rathausbrücke and see the palace, and you're seeing layers of centuries, each with its own claim to memory. Lucas: I think the lesson is that buildings are never just buildings. They hold the values and conflicts of their time. And when we rebuild them, we're not just restoring stone — we're choosing what to remember and what to forget. Luna: That's a good way to put it. I'll never look at a reconstruction the same way.