Infrastructures of Memory: Architectural Reconstruction and the Curation of the Past in Central and Eastern Europe
John V. Maciuika, Professor of Art and Architectural History, City University of New York, Baruch College
Public lecture
Vilnius University, Faculty of History, Research Centre “(Post)Authoritarian Landscapes”
The lecture took place on Monday, 20 November 2023, 5 pm, Room 211.
Moderator prof. dr. Marija Drėmaitė
The historical reconstruction Berlin’s royal palace (2013-2020; €600 million) as a new, mixed-use museum complex raises a fundamental question about projects of this type: Can the reconstruction of a long-destroyed building be regarded as authentic and continuous with the past that inspired its construction, or is it in fact a mere token, talisman, or, worse, an unimaginative production of historic kitsch that forecloses opportunities to erect monuments expressive of the present age and its unique aspirations? This lecture examines the steps that have been taken since German reunification that have brought this complex and projects like it into being. Questions to be answered include: What are the evolving stakes of this and other reconstruction projects? Who are the major players involved, and how are “winners” and “losers” in lengthy reconstruction debates determined? More broadly, does the architecture of a reconstructed palace fit into larger visions for a national landscape in the historic heart of Berlin, given the demolition of key buildings from the German Democratic Republic in the area, the Museum Island expansion, and the planned reconstruction of Karl Schinkel’s Berlin Building Academy? Whose “vision” and whose “national landscape” are being realized, and what interests will this “new” historic urban ensemble best serve? Finally, the Berlin palace project will be discussed in the context of the recent rage for reconstruction that has appeared across much of Europe. The reconstruction trend represents a fundamental shift away from decades of accumulated historic preservation practice, which tended to value authentic historic remains and reject any notion of creating “replicas.” What accounts for this shift in attitude? Consideration of the debate in terms of other European projects and two key recent texts in the field – Winfried Nerdinger’s A History of Reconstruction/Construction of History (2010) and Adrian von Butlar’s Historic Preservation Instead of a Cult of Imitiations (2011) – will round out the investigation.
Speaker’s Short Biography:
John V. Maciuika is professor of art and architectural history at Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY). He teaches courses on the history of architecture, urbanism, and the applied arts at Baruch College’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts, and at the CUNY Graduate Center’s Ph.D. Program in Art History. His research emphasizes the relationship between architecture and cultural identity in Central Europe, and has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy in Rome, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the German Academic Exchange Service. He is the author of the 2005 book, Before the Bauhaus: Architecture, Politics, and the German State, 1890-1920, with Cambridge University Press, and, most recently, of Lietuvos architektai pasakoja apie sovietmetį: 1992 m. įrašai, co-edited with Marija Drėmaitė, and published with the generous support of the Vilnius University Faculty of History, the Research Council of Lithuania, and the Leidykla Lapas in 2020. His current book project is also the title of the current public lecture in Vilnius, and is entitled Infrastructures of Memory: Architectural Reconstruction and the Curation of the Past in Central and Eastern Europe.
