German Architecture and Power (in German)

Architecture reveals not only the aesthetic and formal preferences of the architect or client in charge, but grants insight into a society’s aspirations and power struggles. In this course we will study Berlin’s public buildings (and architectural proposals that never came to fruition) to understand the many complex forces that have shaped Germany’s old and new capital city. Recognizing that a building’s meaning changes over time depending on its cultural context, we will use semiotic models and historical background information to “read” a variety of iconic buildings as symbols for Germany’s identity formation processes. Examples to be scrutinized include the Brandenburg Gate, the various faces of the Reichstag, Hitler’s bombastic visions for the Welthauptstadt Germania, Stadtschloss, Palast der Republik, Sehitlik Mosque, Jewish Museum, and others.