Undoing Trauma: Reconstructing the Church of Our Lady in Dresden

Abstract

This article is an examination of the recent reconstruction of the Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) in Dresden, Germany, in relation to a desire for normalcy, which in this case finds expression in a fantasy of resurrection. The reconstruction of a monumental edifice framed as a victim of World War II and socialism both depends on and enacts the fantasy that historical loss can be undone. In addition, the project identifies Germany with German cultural heritage, which appears wholly distinct from the nation's burdened pasts, and offers a monumental symbolic touchstone for narratives of modern German history in which the nation and its citizens figure primarily as suffering victims. In this way, the reconstruction of the church embodies something more complex than mere forgetting. It enacts a fantasy of undoing loss, rendering the work of mourning unnecessary, while at the same time embracing injury and victimhood. [Germany, Dresden, nationalism, architecture, memory]

Curated Ruins and the Endurance of Conflict Heritage

“…In the years leading up to German reunification and the end of the Cold War, the ruins of the Frauenkirche became the focus for antigovernment protests in the DDR, serving as a memorial for peace and anti-militarism figure 1 The ruins of the Frauenkirche in the 1970s, before restoration. Source: Erich Braun, Wikimedia Commons (James, 2006). The different meanings ascribed to the ruins is an indication of the political complexity of war memorials and iconic memorial sites in general, which has been explored by Pierre Nora (1989), Jay Winter (2006), and others.…”

“…Most were motivated by an appreciation of the church in its 'dirty ruin' form as a powerful monument to the bombing of Dresden, and questioned whether the reconstructed church would have the same symbolic impact. A few suggested that the reconstruction was an act of erasure, moving towards deliberately forgetting an uncomfortable past (James, 2006).…”

“…The clearing of the ruins was described as 'archaeological', as the aim was not only to empty the site of rubble, but to retrieve, identify, and archive as many original stone elements as possible, in preparation for the reconstruction (James, 2006). The burnt surfaces of the ruined portions and the recycled stones contrast with the clean, white new stones, giving a stark visual reminder of the destruction (Figure 2).…”

“…For the critics, the reconstruction robbed the city of a memorial and material witness to the horrors of the bombing and the heritage of the Third Reich. These conflicting viewpoints on Nazi heritage can be seen in the slogans: the call to 'heal one of the most painful wounds' contrasts with the Aktive Museum in Berlin, whose 1980s excavations of ruined Nazi buildings carried the slogan 'the wound must stay open' (James, 2006;Moshenska, 2010).…”

“BUT WHAT IF I SHOULD NEED TO DEFECATE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, MADAME?”: Empire, Redemption, and the “Tradition of the Oppressed” in a Brazilian World Heritage Site

“…Overseen by UNESCO, which separates out natural, cultural, and intangible registers, each with distinct archival registries and preservation protocols, heritage thus links places, phenomena, and life forms through property regimes (Ferry 2002, 2005). It establishes a transnational framework that mediates metadiscursively different scales and sites within, and for, the invention of tradition (Bissell 2005; Briggs 1996; James 2006). Indio's statement suggests he comprehends the power of this spiraling technology.…”