Historical Berlin

Children playing on the Berlin Wall

As I have stated in a previous blog post, Germany is a young country in spite of its rich culture and history.  After watching BBC’s documentary on Berlin, I realized how interesting their approach to their own history is.  Most know that Germany has a troubled past historically, many people still associate Germany with Nazis and the Holocaust no matter how many decades have passed.  Of course, Germany has grown and changed significantly since these days, although the name tag still sticks.  Despite this rather unfair association, Germany does not hide their past.  Artwork from the time of Red Berlin can still be seen around the city.  Although the times of that particular social movement have passed, the Germans have not covered up the artwork, or their association with the movement.  Keeping the artwork on display shows acceptance with their past, even if their is not pride felt in it.   Many concentration camps also remain open to the public for visitation.  There is no shame in Germany for their association with the Holocaust, because the nation realizes that they have moved past that.  Matt Frei says in the documentary that Germans “acknowledge rather than deny their history”.  Compared to American culture, which often covers up distasteful history(such as slavery, Native American relations, or the dropping of the atomic bombs), Germany understands that the nation has made mistakes in their past and leaves these mistakes open to the public, so that everyone might learn from them.  

An example of Socialist Realist art in East Berlin

The differing idea of freedom is another interesting concept that seems to have been analyzed several times in Berlin’s history.  Of course, the largest symbol against freedom in Berlin appears to be the Berlin Wall.  However, it was interesting to hear in the documentary that many people felt more freedom when the wall was erected.  At one point in the documentary, it was stated that West Berlin, which was completely encased by the wall, had a sense of freedom inside.  Although the Wall kept many Germans from going anywhere, many West Berliners did not feel as if they had many limitations.  

An interview with a North Vietnamese man, who found refuge in Germany, also felt more free when the Berlin Wall was in place.  He stated that he felt more acceptance when the wall was up, and once it came down, the German Youth made him feel less apart of Germany.  It changed the way his place of refuge accepted him.   

For East Berlin, the Wall allowed the Socialist party to continue.  They feared that the West still had Nazi associations and decided to cut off that part of Germany from East Berlin.  This allowed them to expand their socialist ideas without the fear of “Nazi” intervention.  

Berlin today, a city aware of its past and present!

Of course, for many Berliners the Berlin Wall was the ultimate example of dissipating freedom.  For a generation, families and friends were kept from each other.  The documentary also speaks of all the attempts of escape from East Berlin.  While some East Berliners felt free to practice their ideologies within the wall, others could think of nothing but escaping.  Guards who stood in front of the Berlin Wall were ordered to shoot anyone who attempted to move past the Berlin Wall.  

The Berlin Wall meant something different to everyone in Germany.  For some it was about freedom, for others it was control.  For others it meant being kept from family and friends.  The tearing down of the Wall had even more mixed reactions.  Some weren’t sure how to approach the freedom in front of them, while others felt unsafe.  This important point in German history shows the world how freedom is an idea that is still being worked out, and how difficult it can be to find a freedom that works for every person.  

Brandenburg Gate--an important part of Berlin's history!

Word Count: 627

The Reformative Rebel

Before Martin Luther, Christianity was most often used as a tool for corruption across Europe.  People who had no money or power were faithful to Christianity and had no reason not to believe it.  People in positions of influence who had money, used Christianity as a tool to multiply this power.  More often than not, it became a mess of religious and political ties that were focused on control and greed, rather than the good that comes with faith and service.  

Cue Martin Luther, a man who saw past the fraudulent nature of the church and took a stand against it.  Luther’s beliefs had no room for corruption, but were fueled by independence, intelligence, and rebellion.  It was not only Luther’s beliefs that were revolutionary, but the actions he took to make his beliefs known.  His dedication and spirit showed the people of Germany how different faith could be.  At the time of Luther’s emergence, indulgences were being sold as a means of money-making for the Church.  Many uneducated people across German-speaking lands didn’t realize they were being scammed.  The Church was taking advantage of the lack of education in the greater population, rather than trying to spread knowledge.  Luther saw the ludicrous of this action, and decided he had to use his knowledge for a greater good. 

Joseph Fiennes in the movie Luther

One of Luther’s first actions was to create what is known as the ’95 Theses’, a declaration of Luther’s issues within Catholicism.  The legend states that Luther tacked his theses to the church door, inciting his desire for change.  This powerful image marks Luther’s first step forward as the Christian rebel.  Unafraid of what his actions might mean for his afterlife, Luther felt completely confident in his claims.  The theses certainly weren’t doing any favors for Luther, but were instead getting him in trouble.  This further served to show the people that he did not have a political agenda for power.

Luther at the Diet of Worms by Anton von Werner, 1877

Luther’s rebellion continued at the Diet of Worms, where instead of recanting his writings as the Pope desired, Luther took a stronger hold on his claims.  Luther used the opportunity to give a speech about his firm beliefs, even though doing this put him in danger.  Luther had to flee for a time after this occurred, but his actions showed the people once more the reality of the situation.

Another of Luther’s most famous rebellions is the translation of the Bible into German.  Until then, the Bible had only been written and copied in Latin, which most German-speaking people could not understand.  This contributed to the lack of education across Germany as most people were only exposed to what church leaders told them concerning their faith.  Therefore, their perception of Catholicism had little to do with the actual Bible and much more to do with what corrupt religious officials were sharing with them.  Luther’s action changed this, and the Bible continued to be translated into several other European languages.  

Luther’s writings were powerful and provocative, but his actions were almost more important to his movement.  His rebellion awakened the people of Germany to the corruption happening in their churches, and opened their eyes to the reality of a more realistic faith.

Luther's speech at the Diet of Worms.

Word Count: 533

The Birth of Germany

The birth of Germany as a nation, and the humanist aspect of German culture is one that I find very interesting.  Germany is a relatively “young” country despite its rich history.  Although Germany is young, it has history that was created prior to it becoming a nation.  In Schulze’s book, he states that the humanists’ mission was “to lead Germany out of barbarism” and that in this journey, “the first clear and lasting outlines of a German nation took shape” (Schulze 50).  Germany is a country that many people associate with religion and politics.  Religion for the famous Martin Luther and his “95 Theses”, and government for the radical dictatorship of Hitler in World War II.  With this in mind, it seems surprising that Germany’s birth as a nation is rooted not in religion or politics, but humanism.  Germany, at its roots, is all about its people, and the belief that a nation can exist off of human goodness.  Like every other country, Germany has points in its history where it has swayed from these humanist ideas.  However, it is important to recognize that Germany’s belief system originated with the thought that people can exist together by doing good.  It is also interesting, that Germany’s most broken times were when they did stray away from humanist ideals.  The Reformation divided Germany into many separate belief systems and created strife for the unity of the nation.  Religion only served to separate Germany further as a nation.  Politics is what kept Germany separated at its beginning, where several areas were led under different Germanic princes.  Schulze also talks about Germany’s longest peace time  from 1555-1618, which ended because “ambitious leaders had formed alliances along denominational lines and were only waiting for the right moment to strike” (Schulze 62).  Germany’s history manages to prove a point in this way.  It reveals how a nation focused on the people, and the natural goodness people can have will help to make a nation thrive.  When a nation is for the people, the people will be happy. The history also shows that differing religious and political beliefs will often serve to divide a nation and create trouble and strife.  The power struggles that come along with these topics always manage to cast some out, while elevating others.  I know that most of the things we will study concerning Germany, will have to do with its politics and its movements through religion, but I think it is important to note what exists at the roots of a country’s beliefs.  

Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.

Philipp Melanchthon(1497-1560) was a famous German humanist who worked with Martin Luther.

Berlin, the capital city of modern Germany! 

Word Count: 423