In addition to the official part of the conference and discussions on topics related to the 1990s, participants of the 12th European History Forum had the opportunity to experience the past firsthand. Or at least what remains of it through several tours of Berlin.
In addition to the official part of the conference and discussions on topics related to the 1990s, participants of the historical forum, thanks to our hosts from the Heinrich Böll Foundation, had the opportunity to experience the past firsthand. Or at least what remains of it through several tours of Berlin, its heritage, and the stories that heritage tells. Divided into three groups, we had the chance to choose what interested us the most: Berlin's architectural heritage, the legacy of the city divided by the Wall, or cultural heritage. Each of these three tours told a layered story about the past of Germany's capital in different ways.
The architectural tour I attended was an opportunity to visit the city's urban planning office with models of the city the size of entire rooms, where every project in much of Berlin was marked, whether completed, ongoing, or planned. Through the architectural layers, we could see the growth and development as well as the extent of destruction and reconstruction in the city over the centuries. The tour was complemented by visits to locations in the city where we had the pleasure of seeing in person what we had examined on the models.
On the complex issues of wartime heritage and people in motion, driven or forced to migrate, we had the opportunity to talk at the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, and Reconciliation under the expert guidance of a curator. The exhibition at this center displays artifacts and stories of migrants throughout contemporary history, up to the present day. One part of the exhibit is dedicated to migrations related to the recent wars in the former Yugoslavia, and as part of the exhibition, the Dayton Peace Agreement is displayed. However, the most controversial part of the exhibit is the depiction of German migrations after the end of World War II, which has opened this issue in German society. We dedicated a lot of time during the tour to discussing this topic, whether and how to depict the suffering of people whose expulsion was the result of complex historical processes, as well as the violence and crimes committed by their home country.
The Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum was a somewhat more optimistic and less controversial experience because it did not depict the suffering of people in motion but their stay at the final destination. The exhibit, located in the premises where people who fled from East Berlin to West Berlin were housed, was an opportunity to talk about life in the divided city, the reasons for fleeing, personal stories of those who fled, motives, and events. The curator perfectly conveyed the atmosphere through interesting examples and curiosities, telling the history of the place and the people who passed through it in an engaging way. All of this was a logical sequence and continuation of the story of migrations begun at the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, and Reconciliation.
The third day of our tour and discussions about the past was dedicated to Potsdam, a beautiful town on the outskirts of Berlin that gained world fame and recognition from the Potsdam Conference where the Allies decided on the fate of the world after the end of World War II in Europe. Before visiting the conference site, we visited the Lindenstrasse Memorial Site, an exhibit dedicated to institutional persecution and abuse, depicting court processes, imprisonments, and crimes of various dictatorial regimes in Germany. This place often carried out legalized state terror against citizens instead of justice during the Nazi and communist periods. We had the opportunity to see how the state used the court and law for the persecution of dissidents and undesirables, leading to tragic consequences, and how ordinary people without any guilt or danger to society often became targets of the system, effectively demonstrating the threats posed by dictatorship and non-democracy.
Belvedere Castle in Potsdam, which we visited, told the story of a place with a not-so-heavy but complex heritage of a former Prussian castle that was neglected and used as a place for alternative culture during the years of divided Germany, to be restored to its original style after reunification and today serves as a monument to Prussian architecture and a beautiful place for a walk. Schloss Cecilienhof, the palace where the Potsdam Conference was held, has a far more complex heritage. This place, chosen by chance as one of the few undestroyed buildings in Berlin in 1945, was not just a place for diplomatic negotiations and drawing new borders but also realpolitik, intrigues, and decisions that affected the lives of millions of people around the world. The exhibit shows the palace as it looked at the time of the conference, bringing memories of the participants and telling the story of shaping the world. Perhaps the most poignant part of the exhibit is that it shows how the decision to use the atomic bomb in Hiroshima was made in this peaceful palace near Berlin, surrounded by nature and a homely atmosphere.
The preservation of the culture of memory and historical sites is crucial for overcoming social traumas and confronting the past. Through visits to important historical locations in Berlin and Potsdam, forum participants had the opportunity to see firsthand and discuss complex topics related to wartime heritage, migrations, and dictatorial regimes. The tours showcased architectural, cultural, and political heritage, emphasizing the importance of documentation and open discussion of controversial issues.
Experiences like visiting the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, and Reconciliation, and the Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum, highlight the importance of understanding past tragedies to prevent their recurrence and build a more just society. The Documentation Centre, with its exhibition of artifacts and migrant stories, allows visitors to confront difficult historical truths, while the Marienfelde Refugee Center provides insight into the lives of people who found refuge in divided Berlin. These places not only preserve the memory of challenging moments in history but also serve as warnings about the dangers of dictatorship and non-democratic systems, emphasizing the value of justice, peace, and human rights.
The visit to the Lindenstrasse Memorial Site further illuminated how different dictatorial regimes in Germany used law and courts to persecute dissidents and innocent people. This memorial center provides an important warning about the threats posed by the reign of terror and injustice. Additionally, the tour of the Potsdam Palace, the site of the Potsdam Conference, underscores how historical places can have complex legacies, encompassing both the positive and negative aspects of decisions made at those locations.
Finally, the preservation and restoration of places like Belvedere Castle in Potsdam show how it is possible to combine the preservation of historical heritage with modern use, creating spaces that respect the past while serving as places of gathering and culture today. All these activities confirm that confronting the past, no matter how painful, is essential for building a better future. The culture of memory, through the preservation and study of historical sites, allows us to learn from past mistakes and strive for a society that values justice, human rights, and peace.
