Weltkulturerbe Doppeltes Berlin

The close relationship between architecture and ideology is manifested most clearly in ideologically divided territories. The role of architecture as a projection screen for ideological messages is exemplified by East and West Berlin between 1945 and 1989.

In both parts of the city highly symbolic state, residential, and cultural buildings were erected and existing buildings were brought into line with ideology. The results of this ‘architectural arms race’ can be seen to this day in the doubling of buildings in East and West: two congress halls, two Volksbühnen (People’s Theatres) etc.The Initiative World Cultural Heritage Double Berlin regards this mirrored architecture as unique and proposes a public and open research and collection on the doubled architectures of the once divided city of Berlin, to put ‘Double Berlin’ on UNESCO’s world heritage list. In the framework of the exhibition in September, the collective creates a listing of parallel architectures and initiates an official public request. Everyone is invited to take part in the initiative, to contribute material through the initiative office and the cor- responding website and propose further parallel architectures.

Program:

11 h

Welcome Bernd M. Scherer, Intendant Haus der Kulturen der Welt

Welcoming speech Thomas Krüger, president Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. In January 1991 he was the last (provisional) mayor of East Berlin.

Welcoming speech "Zur vorstellungsorientierenden Rolle von Architektur" Christian Posthofen (Initiative Weltkulturerbe Doppeltes Berlin)

Lecture „Zu materiellem und immateriellem Weltkulturerbe“ Jörg Haspel, Landeskonservator Berlin / Vice president ICOMOS Deutschland

11.45 h

Introduction of the pairs for „Doppeltes Berlin“

Humboldt Universität - Freie Universität

Carlo Jordan (ASTAK Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Berlin-Normannenstraße)
Reinhard Ost (Universitätsarchiv der FU Berlin)

Stalinallee - Hansaviertel
Gabi Dolff-Bonekämper (Professorin des Gebiets Denkmalpflege an der TU Berlin)
Thilo Geisler (Vorsitzender Bürgerverein Hansaviertel)

Kongresshalle West - Kongresshalle Ost
Bernd M. Scherer (Intendant Haus der Kulturen der Welt)
Tobias Hönig (Initiative Weltkulturerbe Doppeltes Berlin)

Stadtzentrum West - Stadtzentrum Ost
Bruno Flierl (Architekturkritiker & Experte für Architektur und Städtebau der DDR)

Volksbühne - Freie Volksbühne
Thomas Martin (Chefdramaturg Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz)
Dietger Pforte (Vorstandsvorsitzender Freie Volksbühne)

Axel-Springer-Hochhaus - Komplex Leipziger Strasse
Rainer Laabs (Leiter Unternehmensarchiv Axel-Springer-Verlag)tbc
Tobias Hönig (Initiative Weltkulturerbe Doppeltes Berlin)

Großsiedlungen West - Großsiedlungen Ost
Daniel Bruns (Akademie einer neuen Gropiusstadt / Institut für Städtebau und Architektur, TU Berlin)
Gerrit Engel (Architekt und Berliner Stadtfotograf)tbc

14.15 h

Open discussion „Weltkulturerbe Doppeltes Berlin?“

15.30 h

Resume

from the perspective of political education: Thomas Krüger
from the perspective of ICOMOS/UNESCO: Jörg Haspel
from the perspective of urban development: Büro Senatsbaudirektorin Regula Lüscher
from the perspective of the Initiative Weltkulturerbe Doppeltes Berlin: Vera Tollmann and Arno Brandlhuber

Moderator: Claudius Seidl (Ressortleiter Feuilleton Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung)

The project INITIATIVE WELTKULTURERBE DOPPELTES BERLIN is open until 11.11.2012