AP. 18 January 2002. Experts Back Rebuilding of Prussian Palace Demolished by East German Communists.
BERLIN -- A panel debating the revival of Berlin's historic center recommended Friday that a Prussian palace destroyed by the East German communists be rebuilt, stirring a dispute over what Germany's reunited capital should stand for. Much new architecture has gone up in the once-divided city since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. But whether to rebuild the baroque palace of Prussian kings has raised warnings about nostalgia for a militaristic state. The expert panel, set up 14 months ago by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, sided with traditionalists who argue that only by rebuilding the palace can the splendor of the stately Unter den Linden boulevard be fully restored. The panel urged that the facade and some key rooms be recreated on Berlin's Palace Square, where East Germany's communist rulers destroyed the original in 1950 to make room for a parade ground. Apart from the unsolved question of financing, though, there's dispute over what to do with another palace - the Palace of the Republic, the home of East Germany's parliament erected by the communists in the 1970s. Since the east was absorbed at breakneck speed into the old West Germany, the disused bronzed-glass structure has become a focus for some easterners' resentment. It also housed discos, restaurants and even a bowling alley that are fondly remembered by many east Berliners. Protests in the early 1990s forced city officials to drop demolition plans for the building. Critics accuse fans of the old palace of ignoring eastern sensitivities - and of backward-looking glorification of Prussia, whose militarism paved the way for Hitler's assault on Europe in World War II. With Berlin deeply in the red and the federal government tightfisted, it's unclear if the $580 million project will be financed. Disgruntled east Germans probably won't be impressed, especially considering the city's chronic economic problems. "The palace is out of date and has no purpose," said retiree Renate Lange, 61. "We've got more important concerns." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
