Quedlinburg

Wednesday, June 27.

Today we took a train, a bus, and another train to Quedlinburg, Germany.  It was a lot of travel, but I think it was worth it.

Hmmm so German countryside pretty much just looks like Indiana?

Here is the first thing we encountered in Quedlinburg, a public memorial in front of the train station.  From right off the bat, you can see how important it is for the people of this town to be reminded of its heritage and its importance as a World Heritage Site.  The guide talked a lot about the difficulties of remaining a World Heritage site, including people who do not care for the historic buildings they own, and the debate between whether modernized buildings can be added to the town to entice people to move and live there, without ruining the historic nature of the village.

Here we see a statue for the Freemasons, who are still active near by Quedlinburg.

Quedlinburg almost gives the air of an outdoor museum, which were started in Scandinavia due to an interest in "folk culture".  These old open air museums usually gave a sense of backward looking romanticism, and I see a lot of that in Quedlinburg as well.  It appears as the perfect small town, with a mixture of buildings and architecture styles from many centuries.  The guide did point out that back in Medieval times, there were no cobblestone streets as there were today, just streets filled with sewage and muck and a few stepping stones.

On our way up to the castle.

 View from the top!

Sometimes these open air museums would break with the earlier preservationist organization, but Quedlinburg is very intent on preserving their place in history.  Some of this is done not only through the preservation of historic architecture, but also by erecting public monuments to bring the community together. Here we see the Roland statue of a legendary figure from the Middle Ages which symbolizes city rights.  This statue of Roland was made around 1460, but was found and restored and placed in front of Quedlinburg's city hall in 1869.  While this figure was important back in the day, it is also important today considering the state of affairs in the country.  A symbol for city rights brings solidarity to the community even today.

While I think Quedlinburg could use more signage and information to increase tourist attraction, I am glad it is not a full blown "museum town".  I think the historic buildings and structures speak for themselves, without having historical "actors" coming around trying to recreate the actual city.  Because really, anything that they could try to recreate could never be historically accurate, never more than a picturesque dialogue of these people.  With what little I know about medieval history, I know that the towns did not smell nice, they were not clean, and it probably was not always safe to be walking around.  To get an authentic experience is impossible, so I think that concentrating on the architectural and historical aspects benefit Quedlinburg without making it too much of a tourist trap.

Tschuss, Quedlinberg!

Roommates (minus Marcy)!

Sachsenhausen Work Camp.

Tuesday, June 26.

In the morning we had class, and our first critique in Urban and Public Art.  I feel way more motivated and inspired after critique and I’ve been working on ideas for my new direction with my photos.

Later we left for Sachsenhausen work camp, about an hour outside of Berlin.  I was not very eager to go to this work camp, because I don’t deal well with sad things (I cry when I watch the news sometimes).  The camp was so much more than I expected.  As soon as we stepped inside, the desolate landscape was imminent.  I could see how so many would give up home living in a place like this.  There were multiple museums within the camp, hosting artifacts from the history of the camp.

The entrance to the camp, “Work will make you free.”

The first place we looked at was the barracks, where all the prisoners lived when they weren’t working.  The beds were tiny, as were the wash rooms and bath rooms.  The text was simple, stating the horrors that occurred in each room, mostly letting the haunting space speak for itself.  There were not many words necessary for these places.

At the other end of the barracks was a museum with more artifacts.  There were a few pieces that stuck out to me.

1. A series of five paintings by a girl whose father was taken away to Sachsenhausen.  They move from the father leaving to the father most fortunately being reunited with his family.

2. A series of self-portraits by prisoners who worked in the counterfeiting stations due to their artistic skill.  These workers purposefully slowed labor in order to avoid producing the counterfeit US dollars that the Nazis wanted them to.

3. Stories and photographs from specific individuals who were imprisoned at Sachsenhausen that went from their birth to their death, sometimes long after they escaped the work camp.  This gave the museum a really personal feel, connecting the viewer to individual people who are very similar to themselves.

4. A unique “guest book” type element which allowed visitors to write about the museum and memorial, but stick the pieces of paper in clear boxes so that the public could read it as well.  This created a mini memorial within the museum, which completely fit with the mission of the monument.

                                                                                                     

Next we visited the prison where people were taken to be tortured and murdered when they got in trouble.  It had the similar layout of mixing museum like exhibits and artifacts with memorial like cell blocks.  In the memorial area, the cells were decorated with images or names of prisoners, along with flowers or cards that I expect were left behind by visitors.

Our last location was Station Z, the end of the road for anyone who entered.  Here was where thousands were mass executed by gunshot or by gas chamber.  This place was hard to handle, hard to believe that people could actually do this to other humans.

Overall, Sachsenhausen was an interesting mix between memorial and museum.  I thought that many of the small details made the horror seem more personal and individualized.  This trip definitely left the group more somber and contemplative, but I think it was a good thing to experience first hand.

Kunsthaus Tacheles

 Monday, June 25.

In the morning, some of us went to the cemetery near by to get some photo's for critique tomorrow.  It was interesting to see many of the gravestones with Hebrew lettering.  After that, we went to Alexanderplatz to see get some more pictures... and of course, shopping!  I bought a skirt, two tanks, flats, a belt, and tights (tights are sooooo trendy in Berlin).




After resting for a bit, we went on an Art excursion to Kunstaus Tacheles.  On our way we found this cute little Dachshund printed all over some doorways.

Kunsthaus Tacheles "Art House, Talking Straight" was what I expected and not what I expected all at the same time. It is an alternative art gallery in what was once a department store, and a Nazi administrative center/prison during the war.  Every bit of space, inside and out, is covered in colorful graffiti, just as I expected.  I also thought it would be a little more organized, while I appreciate the use of found materials, like cardboard boxes, as signs, I thought there would be more information, and more of the feeling of an art museum/gallery within this unique space.

The place had a weird vibe, where I wanted to make sure I was with one of my group members at all times.  It honestly reminded me of a haunted house, not sure what you would get around the next corner.  The first room we walked into was closest to being like an art museum.  It was a large room with monumental paintings covering the walls, and sculptures made from what looks like found materials surrounding the space.  While a little chaotic, this still gave the feel of a museum, albeit a very alternative one.  There were books and cards that could be purchased, cardboard "plaques" signifying some authors, mediums, and dates, etc., and even an artist statement by Alex Rodin who painted the large images titled "Global Warning".

The upper floors functioned more as gallery spaces, though only a couple had impressive bodies of work.  While the artwork was interesting, the space made every viewer talk a brisk walk around the whole place, and then leave.  It was hard to tell whether visitors were gaining anything from their trip to Tacheles.

The mission to save Tacheles was evident throughout the space.  I think that this space could be utilized in just a very slightly different way to create a unique and prominent experience in the Berlin life.  If less was focused on the squatting and more emphasis was placed on creating an alternative art gallery with a message, or a place where people are free to showcase, sell, and create their work, I think that Kunsthaus Tacheles would be better received by the public and the city of Berlin.

Since the building has been declared a historical landmark, I hope that this means Kunsthaus Tacheles will survive.  I would like to see the museum like space throughout the building, working less on shock value and more on true meaning behind the works.  The idea of an alternative art space is unique and could be something truly meaningful, but it is lost in the mess of the Tacheles space.  I think that implementing new strategies could garner more interest in the space.  The website was organized by history and artists which should be made more prominent at the actual location.  Creating a more museum-like atmosphere, while maybe sacrificing some "authenticity", could make visitors more appreciative of the work.

Open Your Eyes

Saturday, June 23.

Today, we left in the morning for the Christopher Street Parade, the gay pride parade in Berlin. Unfortunately, we did not do very much research beforehand and we arrived at the end of the parade at 12:30, when the parade was just getting started way across town.  We got some food (I got a banana nutella crepe which is the greatest thing on the planet), and walked around for a bit before aborting the mission and heading back to the hostel.  I bought two 10 euro Germany jerseys before we left though, one for me and one for my brother.

Me with Meaghan and Devan by the Brandenburger Tor.

After a good rest and some homework, Sara and I went to the Kollwitzmarkt farmer's market right behind the hostel.  There were so many delicious foods there I will definitely be stopping back next week.

We walked around for a bit, and I bought two shirts at Humana, the goodwill type store that is in Germany, for 6 euro each!  I also took pictures for my photo project.  This quote says "Open Your Eyes".

After dinner at the hostel, a big group went to a nearby biergarten for the Spain v. France game.  They have bier here that they mix with sprite which is really yummy, and mixed with raspberry syrup which is even more delicious.  The biergarten was fun, even though Spain won.

Schwarz, Rot, Gold!

Friday, June 22.

In the morning, Sara and I used the last day of our 3 Day museum pass to go to Nikolaikirche, St. Nicholas’ Church, the oldest building in Berlin.  I worked on some of my project along the way.

The church is stunning from the outside, but even more interesting on the inside.  I thought this would be more like the Marienkirche we saw on our first tour of Berlin, but it is a lot more in depth than I expected.  The church itself was beautiful, with interesting sculptures and architectural details.  The buttresses of the church were particularly colorful, which was an unexpected detail.

Much of the items were epitaphs from wealthy families who could be buried in the church.  Some were simple, some were a lot more intricate than the others.  There was a small room off to the side with an exquisite altar cloth, and filled with small items used at the altar.  The Nikolaikirche provided a good history of the church, along with history of artifacts from many places in Germany.  I used to audio guide this time, which I really enjoyed, because I could listen to the information while closely examining the artifact from all angles.

After the church, we walked around the neighborhood, styled as an old East Berlin neighborhood, and looked around some tourist-y shops.  I definitely want something with the Amplemannchen walking symbol on it.  Sara wanted a photo with the Berlin Bear.

After resting, working on homework for a bit, and eating dinner at the hostel, a huge group of us left for the Germany vs. Greece quarter final.  It was even more packed than the last game.  We were still by the third TV from the Brandenburger Tor, but we had pretty good views.  There were some obnoxious people behind us, but we were able to move up enough to get away from them.  We were able to stay together as a group until the end, which was surprising and a great accomplishment.

Kari, Lanna, and me.

Alex, Catie, and me.

Germany fans celebrating after the first goal verses Greece!  The game went pretty similarly to how I expected, Germany won 4-2, the second Greece goal coming at the very end when the game was pretty much over.  We had fun at half time, dancing to the German version of I Like to Move it!  After the game we took a long trip back to the hostel, and then Kari, Lanna, Andrew and I went on a little adventure to find this band playing at a bar.

Museums!

Thursday, June 21.

Happy birthday, dad! Today we went to the German History Museum in the morning.  We were on a tour, but there were so many amazing things in the museum, so I was torn between listening to the woman speak about the objects, and examining all the objects in the museum.  The guide skipped over much of the early German artifacts which I found most interesting.  The Medieval area was interesting, with lots of examples of ancient suits of armor and old handwritten books which were exquisite and colorful.

There were also a lot of examples of cool, old maps which I enjoyed.  The most interesting part to me was listening to the guides personal experience of learning about the situation and the history of the Berlin Wall while she was in school.  In seems like the tearing down of the Wall came so suddenly, people were just finally fed up with their situation.

The file photo portraits of Jews who died in the concentration camps were very haunting, something that is hard to forget.  I think visiting the concentration camp for class is going to be difficult for me to handle.


After a rest and lunch at the hostel, Sara and I went back to Museum Insel for the Altes National Gallery. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would (finding a Van Gogh didn't hurt)!

While the gallery was mildly confusing, because you couldn't walk one path through the entire floor and see everything (meaning lots of back tracking), I thought the layout was absolutely beautiful, along with the mixture of sculpture and painting.

 Hmmmmmm, this one looks familiar! :)

I liked the connection between the architecture and the artworks displayed in the galleries, every space seemed to fit together, and utilize the uniqueness of the architectural elements.  The wandering approach seems more fit for an art gallery, though I would have appreciated a little bit more guidance and less back tracking.  Also, when we tried to find the Constable to Courbet exhibit, it was completely filled with paintings and sketches by Menzel.

Next stop was the Neues Museum!  We were tired after the Altes, so we decided to head straight for Nefertiti and see what happened to be along the way.  I plan on heading back when I get my second museum pass.  We wandered through the Egyptian exhibit, and my favorite piece was the statuette head of Tiy, mother of Pharaoh Akhenaten.  I was so surprised to see how tiny it was in person! I could literally hold it in my cupped hands and it would easily fit.  When I learned about this artifact in art history we saw slides of it that made me think it was a full size head.  This was one of the most surprising things I have seen in any of the museums so far.

The exhibits were all super state of the art, much more updated compared to Pergamon.  The uniformity of the texts and boxes made the museum more enjoyable.  I particularly liked the busts of Roman and Greek philosophers, writers, historians etc., in niches and on pedestals similar to how they would have been displayed in Ancient Roman times.  After doing a project on the decor of the Villa of the Papyri for a class last semester, I recognized many of the names of the busts.  And then from the distance you can see it, the glowing Bust of Nefertiti.  This is the best picture I could get of it, sneakily pretending to snap a picture of this random bust. 

There were about six guards in the gallery, keeping a sharp eye on anyone and everyone.  The bust was absolutely stunning and the way it was lit made it glow with magnificent beauty.  I have always been fascinated by this bust, so when I found out it was in a museum in Berlin I had to make sure I stopped by.  It was smaller than expected, but the epitome of the spectacle to small object mentality.  I was happy to see it either way, though I wish I could have taken a better picture.

Lastly, we saw the half circle of niches with Roman emperors (here is Philip the Arab, one of the Soldier Emperors) and two images of barbarians and Dacians (which were the Germans during Roman times).  I thoroughly enjoyed the Neues, and would definitely like to come back to examine some things more closely.