A summary of the Article
Exploration of the earth and the people by the European scholars was a colonial assignment that took place over many years though still affects the current regimentations and exploitations of the global south. According to the city of Berlin in the federal republic of German plans to build what it calls the most important culturally political project in the country by 2018/2019. The project is called “Berlin Palace – Humboldt Forum” and is billed as the project of the century. It will be located in the City Centre. It will cost an estimated 590 million euros of which the city would contribute 32 million euros towards the project. The concept was presented by Hermann Danziger, the president of the “preubischer Kullurbesitlz” or the Prussian cultural heritage foundation in 2011.
I love the basic idea behind the construction of the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace because it seeks to make the state Museum of Berlin the bona fide owners of owners of their heritage. The project illustrates that at the moment, the greater part of the over 500, 000 plus valuable items from all over the world that find their way into the city through colonial conquest. This is an integral part of their cultural heritage. On the other hand, moving from the issues around ownership of the different heritage items, I think the conceptualized construction will form a magnificent learning experience for both researchers as well as future generations (Sven and Michael 48). For example, at the moment, we only learn or read about the escapades of colonial times such as “the Europeans often use to resort to physical violence in order to gain ownership of different central objects from the colonized societies”. However, the construction of the planned Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace will provide the world with the real evidence for such stories and items. For example, once complete, the proposed Berlin Palace will have on display many items such as thrones, scepters as well as other diverse cult objects.
Moreover, by accepting credit for these objects, the city of Berlin stands to gain many other material benefits, as well as gain intangible advantages spanning g to the present day. Well, I do take note of the protests from different quotas that call for the stopping of the construction alleging the absence of the disclosure of the ownership of history regarding the exhibits as well as calling for an adherence to the different UN resolutions (Sven and Michael 45). However, I do not find these claims and demands to be since. The planned construction aims not only to become an outstanding location for art and culture of different parts of the world such as Asia, Africa Australia America as well as the Oceania. Rather the planned construction aims to provide the world in general with a Centre for research on many different non-European cultures (AFRICAVENIR, 89). It is a conceive Centre for both national as well as international distinction. This will make Berlin City a leading cultural as well as museum city around the world.
I find the planned construction to represent nothing but the rebirth of the Prussian era heart of the Berlin city. The new palace will replace the Berlin city palace of the Stadtschloss, which was the residence of the Prussian kings, and later German emperors that were demolished by the communists after the end of the World War II.
Work Cited
AFRICAVENIR. Decolonial objections against the Humboldt Forum. Web. 21st April 2015< http://www.africavenir.org/projects/projects-germany/decolonial-objections-against-the-humboldt-forum.html >
“Stop the planned construction of the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace!” Web. 21st April
2015.
< http://www.no-humboldt21.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/resolution_en.pdf> .
Sven, Becker and Michael, Sontheimer. Emperor’s new clothes: money lacking for faced of
Berlin’s new palace. Web. 21st April 2015< http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/berlin-palace-lacks-money-for-baroque-facade-a-1004316.html>
