Solving the Stadtschloss Dilemma - What an Old Façade Will Say about New Berlin

Berlin is a city with a unique and challenging past as well as a promising futurein the new Europe. At the city's oldest and most hallowed site EastGerman authorities tore down the war-damaged Stadtschloss in 1950 anderected the Palast der Republik in its place. Since Reunification a debate onwhether to preserve the Palast or rebuild the Stadtschloss has raged fueledas much by ideology as by aesthetics. In 2002 the German parliament decidedin favor of a reconstruction bearing the façade of baroque master AndreasSchlüter's Stadtschloss. What will the new walls say about Berlin's turbulentpast and about its future? As the German capital strives for unity amidstincreasing diversity will the Stadtschloss visually affect the way its futurecitizens and visitors remember? This work examines the history of bothstructures as well as the post-Wall debate the implications of the decisionand the link between vision and memory.The book is addressed to scholars and researchers in German Cultural Studiesparticularly those who focus on memory visual culture and symbolism in HohenzollernGDR and post-Reunification Berlin. It is also intended for all whohave followed the renewed Stadtschloss discourse with interest over the pasttwo decades.