Memoria Urbana Berlin
Construction and maintenance
Originally planned as a temporary installation, as of December 2013 the district and municipal authorities have decreed permanent status for the work. Administrative proceedings for the permanent allocation on public grounds are currently ongoing. The Lux-Bethlehem e.V. cultural trust, representing twenty of the public and private institutions that promoted the permanent installation, has been formally created to guarantee the maintenance of the sculpture.
Symbolism
It is a monument dedicated to freedom of conscience and to immigration with the spirit of Europeanism.
The original Bohemian Church otherwise Bethlehem Church was built between 1733 and 1735 in the middle of the Friedrichstadt (now the Mitte district) of Berlin, representing one of the most positive chapters of relations between Germany and Bohemia. Thanks to King Frederick William I of Prussia, Czech refugees leaving their homeland for religious reasons were admitted to the Friedrichstadt district of Berlin. It was a monument to the tolerance pervading the foundation of the Prussian State.
In 1943, it was badly damaged by bombing. Later, in 1963, the church was demolished and the site incorporated into the facilities of Checkpoint Charlie.
References
- ^ ElPais.com
- ^ RTVE Garazaibal presents the Memorias Urbanas project (video)
- ^ Morgenpost.de
- ^ Article, Sophie Neuendorf ShareShare This (2019-11-17). "Juan Garaizabal On How His Environmental Activism and Artistic Practice Fuel Each Other". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-09-01.