Iconoclash! Political Imagery from the Berlin Wall to German Unification

Nov 4, 2009 6:30 PM - Jan 8, 2010 | Washington, DC

Lenin Busts. Courtesy of Wende Museum Culver City, CA © Wende Museum
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Lenin Busts. Courtesy of Wende Museum Culver City, CA
(© Wende Museum)

Political iconography is established with meaning and purpose. Tampering with an icon means that the original value system has been altered, compromised or simply fallen away, creating new meanings in the process. The East German icons and symbols presented here were created with an air of permanence. Many of the symbols and icons were manipulated, vandalized and reshaped as the Berlin Wall was rendered obsolete on November 9, 1989 and the Wende, or turning-point, began. 

Opening discussion and reception, organized in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, on Wednesday, November 4, 6:30 - 9 pm.

This exhibit of political and cultural artifacts and their changed meaning commemorates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and was co-curated by Marion Deshmukh, George Mason University. Objects on loan from the Wende Museum, Culver City, California. In cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Support provided by Friends of the Goethe-Institut, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Washington Office.

Location: Goethe-Institut FotoGalerie, 812 Seventh St., NW, Washington, DC
Admission: Free of charge but reservations for opening reception required
RSVP to 202-289-1200 ext 169 or washington%27%goethe%27%org,rsvp