Counter-Memoryscapes: Remembrance and Activism in Berlin Public Spaces

In a city so deeply marked by its history, the institutionalized processes of collective memory have faced continuous challenges from anti-, non-, and para-institutional forces. Who and how decides what needs to be publicly remembered? How do these decisions shape our understanding of Berlin's past and present?

This course explores the dynamic interplay between activism, art, and public remembrance in Berlin from 1989 to nowadays. Through mixed methods and practice-based research, the course delves into the spatial politics that shape the social significance of public spaces in relation to our collective past, and analyzes the current strategies employed by different organizations to contest official memory practices up until today. The course includes planning site visits, engaging with present organizations and initiatives and producing a critical reflection on our role as active participants in shaping public memory.