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At the end of the television series "Babylon Berlin": The subject of the Weimar Republic is in full swing – as if the times were comparable.
Now Emmanuel Macron has also done so and warned against the return of the Weimar period. Europe is divided by fears, the rise of nationalism and the consequences of the economic crisis, said the French leader in an interview with the newspaper and appealed to the opposing forces: Defend democracy!
The television series "Babylon Berlin", whose latest episodes will be aired on ARD Thursday, is at the center of a boom of the 1920s that goes well beyond the history of the New Berlin Police Commissioner, Gereon Rath, founded in 1929. The inter-war period is omnipresent, from the new film "Threepenny Opera" to the surprise book fair of the posthumously published badgraphic novel "Weltpuff Berlin" by Rudolf Borchardt. Political scientists compare Berlin's tests with the Weimar Republic. Maps of the city reveal the traces of time in the current capital. The Komische Oper plans for May 2019 the creation of the silent film clbadic "M – A city seeks a murderer" as a musical play. At the beginning of the week, Max Raabe, the indestructible singer of the 1920s, sang for the anniversary of federal cultural policy in the presence of Chancellor Merkel.
Since the optimism of progress, at least since the Club of Rome and the "limits of growth" of 45 years ago, we prefer to look to the past, said historian Hanno Hochmuth. Birthdays are experiencing a steady boom in Germany. The anniversary of the Weimar and Bauhaus Constitution is followed by the end of the First World War and the November Revolution 100 years ago – a look at the calendar could be one of the reasons for the Weimar. But why is the nation sitting in front of the television and content with the comforting horror of 1929? In glamorous and gloomy establishments, "Babylon Berlin" evokes the end of Weimar, the moment that precedes the chaos.
When did the last deal prevail that times are not restless?
Weimar as menetekel. So like today there is a lot of uncertainty, they say. The world order is shaking, the climate too, the financial crises are blurring the global economy, the social gap is widening, the right-wing populists are expanding. That's true, but do not we always live in times of crisis? When did the last deal prevail that times are not restless – even if Germany has more than 70 years of peace? Nevertheless, one identifies oneself with the overloaded, nervous, frightened movie heroes, prey to existential worries.
Financial worries? The unemployment rate in Germany reached 44% during the Weimar period and has now reached a new record. The economy continues to grow and no one plans to abolish the welfare state. Nationalism growing? The AfD has been sitting in the Bundestag since the election of Hesse in all national parliaments. But with the political turmoil between the 20 Reich governments in 14 years, the street struggles between radical communists, right-wing nationalists and authorities, including the blood that can kill more than 30 people, the troubles of today have little in common. Despite Dauerzoff in Groko, Pegida is walking and "indivisible" demos. Not to mention the clandestine arming of the black Reichswehr. Even today, there are militant right-wing terrorists, a deadly force. But a sudden?
We do not minimize the current crisis of democracy – not even as regards its erosion in Hungary, Poland, Italy or Austria – if we name the differences. Björn Höcke, of the AfD-right, speaks of "the smell of the degradation of an endangered democracy", but the German civil society expresses, defending liberalism and cosmopolitanism. AFD is addressed not only to voters, but also to the Greens, who are by no means radical. At that time, democracy was not ten years old, only learning to walk. Today, it is consolidated for decades and suffers from a lack of flexibility in the face of new phenomena such as the diversification of the political landscape or the growing influence of social networks. Search instead of shudder: can the return to the Weimar period be better used for a non-romantic and alert look at the dangers of the present?
A slight discomfort settles because "Babylon Berlin" serves a burning desire.
One of them: we, Germans, like to put ourselves in crisis and are quick in the face of horror. Apocalypse now, last in the threat of Donald Trump to stop disarmament. Invites the cold war was summoned, "a scary scenario filled," he said in the "South of Germany". The nuclear fear of the 80s was back – for two, three days.
The myth of the roaring twenties, including sadness, is more enduring. This is also due to the fact that it retrospectively holds the promise of an open historical moment in itself. Could it have been different? If the left had not split, would the nightmares of "war cries" at Gereon Rath have been treated? A whole society of wounded would have been cared for, etc. Would not National Socialism come? An autosuggestion, a game of thought comforting, quickly too conciliatory. Finally, Germany does not have to face the Holocaust, but the fact that the "good" do exist. They were just sick. A slight discomfort settles because "Babylon Berlin" serves a burning desire.
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Brilliance and comfort. Claire Waldoff is excited for her voice on the stage of the famous Wintergarten Variety. More than 170 of these establishments included the capital of the Weimar Republic.
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Before its destruction during the Second World War. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Charlottenburg.
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The palace of consumption. Nine stories, 72,000 square meters, 4,000 employees. Karstadt am Hermannplatz opened in 1929. During the day, capitalist colossus, the shopping center was transformed into a castle of light at night. In 1945, it was destroyed.
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Chic androgynous sportsman with a young haircut. In the Weimar Republic, the "new woman" has entered the social scene. She earned her own money, chose her own husband, or stayed alone. However, this form of emancipation was often reserved for the most affluent women.
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With the "new woman" came a new fashion. At least for the wealthy among them.
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The reverse of emancipation. Women who worked for little money, like these typewriters. Their freedom lasted only briefly. When the economic crisis settled, they were fired for the first time.
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Film Factory. The Tempelhof Universum Film AG in Berlin was a child of the First World War. Here are clbadics like "The Last Man", "Metropolis" or "The Blue Angel".
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The Prussian diva. Marlene Dietrich actually wanted to become a violin virtuoso. A tendon injury ruined his dream. But she was able to play her musical talent in Ufa's production "The Blue Angel" – and became a world-renowned movie star.
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The machine woman. Brigitte Helm, a retired student from Berlin Friedenau, became world famous in 1927. In Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", the most expensive film of the 1920s, she excelled as a sweet Maria – while playing her own robot clone.
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The dancer Josephine Baker visited the city for only two months – she nevertheless left a lasting impression with her exotic appearance. She loved driving on a bouquet in front of the Adlon.
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revolutionary theater. Bertolt Brecht settled in Berlin in 1924. At the end of the decade, the city was at the feet of the playwright.
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The chronicler. Jeanne Mammen, born in 1919 in Berlin, lived for 57 years in the same studio at Kurfürstendamm 29. She drew, painted and lithographed the city. His studio survived the war.
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The imminent fall. In October 1929, the roaring years ended with the New York stock market crash. In Germany, 44% of people are unemployed. A year later, the NSDAP became the second party of the Reichstag. Nevertheless, Hitler humbly holds the hand of Reich President Hindenburg.
Nothing against the search for cause. "As before, the question of how it could be that the victory of the National Socialists in 1933 was so shamefully simple," writes Marie Luise Knott in her book "Dazwischenzeiten" on the arts in 1930 and "the exhaustion of modernity". The question is all the more disturbing as individual moments seem to evoke parallels. But also, the "alarmists and autocrats more self-proclaimed" created this parallel. Knott prefers to discuss the question of whether the imminent calamity in the arts of the Weimar Republic was reflected as an intuition. What is more exciting than retrospectively consolidating these insights into the image of history. We know how it happened.
The parallels are particularly attracted by Berlin. The title of the series alludes to Kenneth Anger's legendary scandalous chronicle, "Hollywood Babylon," in which the American dream factory is exposed as a sinner, full of drugs, greed, and badual violence. However, compared to the revelations of the book of Angers, the images of Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries look good. Even in the nightclub Moka Efti, this counterpart of Berghain, he behaves well. Little Charleston, a little Po-Wiggling, a little red light, fine.
The terrible poverty of hundreds of thousands does not exist anymore
Myths are well known. The myth of Berlin is particularly difficult. The city that never sleeps, the city of holidays, the pharmacy, the international melting pot, the mecca of criminals and arts, multiple identities, homobadual subcultures with dozens of gay bars – the picture has always been sold. Even George Grosz and Otto Dix have tinkered with the amazing picture of morality, including Döblin, Fritz Lang, Christopher Isherwood and Asphaltliteraten.
There are indeed astonishing continuities: the most violent cultural quarrels erupted around the Volksbühne on the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. From Piscator and Brecht, a tradition can be established at Castorf, Shermin Langhoff or Barrie Kosky and at Babelsberg's cinema on today's vital cinema scene. But as a city of jazz, musicals and variety shows, she has achieved her goal despite the jazz festival and conservatory.
Or the living. The reunified capital grows as Groß-Berlin after the administrative reform of 1920 beyond its borders, reaching 4 million inhabitants. The temples of merchandise, that is, shopping malls, are growing, while artists are no longer finding affordable studios and young families can not find affordable housing. But the slums in the backyards of Döblin, the terrible poverty of hundreds of thousands of people no longer exist. Not even the new building of a Gropius, a Mies van der Rohe, an architect of the city, Martin Wagner. Light and air for all: Six Berlin agglomerations of these years are on the World Heritage List. The current social housing in Berlin is characterized rather by the fact that it is progressing slowly. Quick city? The watches – keyword BER – are often very slow here.
The spirit of Weimar and the rupture of civilization of Auschwitz
Soberly, the hype around "Babylon Berlin" is largely due to the fact that the series brings together popular television formats, police thrillers, love stories and the still-popular film story . The All-Star-Cast does the rest, with excellent newcomers like Liv Lisa Fries.
Tykwer et Cie finally prove that the Germans can also quality series, is applauded. This is just not true. Already with the filming of "Berlin Alexanderplatz" by Fbadbinder, the series "Heimat" by Edgar Reitz, the film Berlin-Zehnteiler by Dominik Graf "Face crime" or recently, for example, the mini-series ARD "Das Verschwinden "by Hans-Christian Schmid, convince the capacity of local filmmakers to the series of high quality. The novelty lies at most in Biederkeit's mixture of genre, performance value and prime time. Illegal SM movies, wicked villainous faces, bottomless Trotskyists, a propeller plane confrontation or a steam locomotive – in the end, nothing is as hot as it is boasted.
"We tell ourselves what is the best in the world," writes Marie Louise Knott. One of the key truths of Weimar's narrative is that much of what started at the beginning has long been part of everyday German life. The state party, the expansion of public transport, the first highway, the modern fight against crime, badual research Magnus Hirschfeld, the fight for women's rights. Siemens is currently building an innovation campus in Berlin, on the historic Siemens site.
Berlin has always been a future and an innovation. A myth, certainly, and yet, the historic breeding ground of a real creative agitation. Fantasy gives birth to reality. But we must not forget that this fantasy made in Berlin has largely disappeared from Germany because of the murder of the Jews. The spirit of Weimar and the breakup of the Auschwitz civilization, the memory is indivisible.
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