Culture & History   Wisconsin has always been a beacon of German culture it is undergoing a renaissance at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Walk across campus with Professors Heike Alberts and Monika Hohbein-Deegen and you will likely hear a conversation in German their paths to Oshkosh were very different Professor Alberts pulls out an aerial map of Berlin and pinpoints where she grew up in the Frohnau neighborhood It’s on the northern outskirts of Berlin and at the time of the Cold War was surrounded on three sides by the Berlin Wall “I always thought that all cities had walls I did not know life without a wall.” Professor Hohbein-Deegen grew up in East Germany in the little village of GrossBruechter Her childhood home is in the German state of Thuringia and relatively close to the inner German border dividing East and West Germany a unified Germany celebrated the 30th anniversary of the peaceful revolution that toppled the Berlin Wall the professors shared what life was like growing up on opposite sides of the wall Professor Hohbein-Deegen lived under a dictatorship in Communist East Germany “Sometimes I try to tell my students what this life was like This is a little bit difficult to balance that because you don’t want to paint it too black or too rosy Professor Alberts also describes what to her was a very normal life with western freedoms in a democracy even if her backyard was at the foot of the Berlin Wall she remembers nighttime never being dark because the flood lights along the border would light up the night sky She was also close enough to the wall to sometimes hear shouting It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that she learned her Frohnau neighborhood was also the site of tunnels East Germans had dug under the wall to escape She describes one as a “senior citizen tunnel” – built tall enough so the older generation could walk thru it upright and hold their heads high as they left the Communist East Both professors now teach about a wall they themselves never learned about in school Professor Hohbein-Deegen teaches her Oshkosh students about World War II Germany Professor Alberts teaches them human geography They visit the historic sites like Checkpoint Charlie The professors help their students to take off their American hats and see things through the eyes of other people and to learn from history The students discover back in 1989 the East German people took to the streets as the world watched the fall of the Berlin Wall live on television Professors Alberts and Hohbein-Deegen both slept through it and only heard the news the next morning The days that followed became an adventure for these future Wisconsinites Heike Alberts was 17 years old at the time and went with a friend to take pictures of the wall One of her favorite photographs is of her dad chipping away at the wall to break off a piece of history Her high school band marked the occasion by marching across the border into East Germany “I was always in the first row and remember they had just cleared the death zone of all the nasty equipment But this was also the first time I really set foot on the death zone that had killed so many people before that Monika Hohbein-Deegen was 20 years old when the wall fell and her experience going East to West was a bit different she never thought she would be able to visit an English-speaking country she had her opportunity and traveled to the United States on a scholarship “I never forget when I actually came to America the very first time It was rather amazing because I was thinking this was the enemy country I was taught about and now I’m here.’” she made a Green Bay Packers connection while teaching at the University of Southern Mississippi I wish I would have kept his exams or something like that?” Both professors now feel at home in Wisconsin following in the footsteps of other German immigrants my German identity has become much stronger by not being in Germany now it’s in demand that I speak about those kinds of things.” Professor Hohbein-Deegen reflects on the timing and aftermath of German Reunification “I am very glad it happened the time it did because I was 20 years old when the wall fell I was old enough to have all of the memories but I was also young enough to take advantage of it Living through the experience allows Alberts and Hohbein-Deegen to look back and share their personal stories As a German Language teacher at the University of Southern Mississippi Monika Hohbein-Deegen had the famous quarterback in her class Not everyone benefited from German Reunification Take a listen to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Professor Monika Hohbein-Deegen’s perspective Chronicle of the Berlin Wall website The History of Bernauer Strasse on the Berlin Wall Memorial website Rebuilding connections: Navigating life after losing a loved one ‘The Largest Gathering of Norwegians in Northwestern Wisconsin, Probably: Gierefest’ UW-Stout video game maker makes board game bestseller Grieving the loss of his parents, author imagines time traveling back to his childhood home Love Wisconsin? You’ll love Wisconsin Life, a place for engaging stories of the people that make Wisconsin feel like home. Produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin © Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin, services of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents View of the Whanki Museum’s main building Whanki Museum Reopens After Major Refurbishment   the private Whanki Museum in Seoul’s Buam-dong hillside neighborhood has reopened its doors to the public which is dedicated to the late Korean abstract artist Kim Whanki (1913–1974) had closed in February to revamp its 33-year-old building and gallery spaces museum director Park Mee-jung explained that aside from switching to LED lights in the galleries the building’s granite exterior had to be reconditioned “before it got too old.” The refurbished Whanki Museum welcomed visitors with two new exhibitions “Kim Whanki_The Immortal Nature” and “Kim Whanki_The Duet,” which spotlight more than 100 drawings and archival materials by the eponymous artist and will run through early March 2025 Courtesy Kunstlerhof Frohnau and the Department of Art and History Reinickendorf Arijit Bhattacharyya Wins Ruckhaberle Award 2024 The Künstlerhof Frohnau (KHF) and the Department of Art and History Reinickendorf in Berlin have announced Indian-born Weimar-based interdisciplinary artist Arijit Bhattacharyya as the winner of their sixth annual Ruckhaberle Award which honors visual artists living in Germany whose work illuminates underrepresented social and political narratives Bhattacharyya was selected for his ongoing research project a series of small-format drawings depicting vivid landscapes of violence by right-wing extremists shown alongside museal objects and an evocative audio commentary Along with a EUR 2,000 (USD 2,073) stipend Bhattacharyya will participate in an artist residency at Künstler Frohnau and develop a solo exhibition and publication of his work Works by all seven finalists are currently on view in a group exhibition at the GalerieETAGE in Berlin’s Museum Reinickendorf ANISH KAPOOR’s Yellow to Spanish and Pagan Gold San Gimignano/Beijing/Les Moulins/Habana/Rome/Sao Paulo India Art Fair 2025 Reveals Further Program Details The citywide program includes an outdoor site-specific LED installation by Italian British artist duo Claire Fontaine based on their acclaimed series Foreigners Everywhere (2004– ); a major retrospective of Indian painter and poet Gulam Mohammed Sheikh at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; and a solo exhibition by Mumbai-based conceptual artist Shilpa Gupta at Bikaner House fair director Jaya Asokan stated: “Our program of commissions will see the city come alive South Asian art is truly having a moment and we’re incredibly proud to be playing our part in sharing it with the world!”  Courtesy the Center for Curatorial Studies CCS Bard Announces 26th Curatorial Prize Winner Bard College (CCS Bard) named Thai curator Gridthiya Gaweewong as the recipient of its annual 2025 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence which celebrates innovative and outstanding curators Gaweewong—who is currently the artistic director of the Bangkok-based Jim Thompson Art Center—focuses on the social changes in the post-Cold War era experienced by artists from Thailand and beyond Having curated exhibitions internationally she was also the artistic director of the Thailand Biennale 2023 in Chiang Rai alongside Thai installation artist Rirkrit Tiravanija CCS Bard’s executive director Tom Eccles remarked that her innovative curatorial approach “subverts institutional narratives in lieu of artist-led and personal perspectives.” Gaweewong was selected by an independent jury comprising leading curators Gaweewong stated in a press release: “It inspires me to curate passionately trusting art’s power to foster resilience and meaningful societal change.” info@aapmag.com Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2024 at 1:00 AM EDTBookmarkSaveIn the early morning hours of May 6 an explosion occurred in a bank in the German town of Bad Homburg sending shattered glass as far as 30 meters away Two men had broken into the building and filled the ATM with explosives jumped into the waiting getaway car and rushed off into the night Author Uwe Westphal discusses Berlin's once-thriving Jewish fashion industry and how the Nazi confiscations of Jewish-owned companies in the years before World War II led to the industry's demise Read the transcript. Follow Berkeley Talks, a Berkeley News podcast that features lectures and conversations at UC Berkeley Twin sisters Sally and Ruth Katz (left and right) as spectators at Polo Week in Berlin-Frohnau in 1928 (Photo © Ullstein-Bild/Zander&Labisch) discusses Berlin’s once-thriving Jewish fashion industry and how the Nazi confiscations of Jewish-owned companies in the years before World War II led to the industry’s demise “The destruction of the entire fashion industry meant forced labor government-organized theft and the murder and the deportation of Jews,” Westphal says fashion producers small and large have not yet taken on responsibility for what happened … A younger generation needs to understand the connection between the Holocaust and the destruction of the Berlin fashion industry.” This event, which took place on Feb. 15, was sponsored by the UC Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life Goethe-Institut San Francisco and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany San Francisco Listen to other episodes of Berkeley Talks: Lofty climbing towers are part of trend away from total safety and towards teaching children to navigate difficult situations the Triitopia climbing frame is the kind to cause worry in any anxious parent Children aged six and upwards wind their way through four stacked steel-wire buckyballs and scramble up dangling rope ladders until they reach a platform about 10 metres above the forest floor Parents can try to keep up with their young mountaineers as they ascend through the rope spiderweb but they might get left behind in the tightly woven mesh If scaling the Triitopia looks risky, that is the point: built in 2018, the climbing tower in Berlin-Frohnau’s Ludwig Lesser Park is emblematic of a trend that has accelerated in Germany over the last five years must stop striving for absolute safety and instead create challenging microcosms that teach children to navigate difficult situations even if the consequence is the odd broken bone “Playgrounds are islands of free movement in a dangerous motorised environment,” says Prof Rolf Schwarz of Karlsruhe University of Education who advises councils and playground designers “If we want children to be prepared for risk we need to allow them to come into contact with risk.” View image in fullscreenThe maximum fall height in the Triitopia structure’s spiderweb is 1.8 metres Photograph: Philip Oltermann/The GuardianThe trade fair for leisure and sports facilities will give an impression of what such playgrounds could look like will showcase its new seven-metre-high “DNA tower” and the 10-metre “Tower4” with a swirling metal slide to reward enthusiastic climbers “Our designs have significantly increased in height in recent years,” says the co-director David Köhler whose company has been making rope-based playground structures since the 1970s “Children may feel insecure when they first climb in our nets but this is actually what makes the structures even safer An intellectual tradition of thinking seriously about play and versatile gaps in urban landscapes after the second world war mean Germany has a history of experimental play areas: many cities have “junk playgrounds” where children can build their own structures and parents are allowed to enter only one day a week the dividing line between Abenteuerspielplätze (“adventure playgrounds”) and traditional play zones is increasingly disappearing seesaw and slide – is in decline,” says Steffen Strasser of Playparc one of about 60 German manufacturers who do not only supply the country’s estimated 120,000 playgrounds but export around the world Playparc will showcase its Etolis range of platforms with suspension bridges that are deliberately wobbly equipped with minimal guard railing and no safety net Strasser bristled at the mention of the low platforms surrounded by rubber matting that are still ubiquitous in British and American playgrounds View image in fullscreenThe Triitopia tower is encased with boards and netting to ensure no child can take a tumble from a height above three metres Photograph: Philip Oltermann/The Guardian“Modern playgrounds explore the limits of what is permissible within the regulations,” says Strasser we try to build in challenges: an obstacle that a child may fail to overcome the first nine times but then manages at the tenth attempt.” “The aim is to allow the greatest amount of freedom while guaranteeing the greatest amount of safety We are not trying to avoid every broken leg possible.” Germany is often perceived to be a politically and economically risk-averse nation where everyday life is regulated by a strict regime of rules and regulations it’s the strict policing of standards that enables a risk-accepting culture in the first place Playground equipment in Germany is certified by the TÜV the same association that provides German drivers with the equivalent of an MOT or certificate of roadworthiness for vehicles the Triitopia tower in Berlin-Frohnau is encased with boards and netting to ensure no child can take a tumble from a height above three metres A sign urges parents to take off their children’s cycle helmets in order to eliminate a strangulation risk Once a climbing frame has got past the TÜV manufacturers can use the certificate to defend themselves in court against lawsuits relating to accidents where certification in most states is carried out by those who bring a playground structure to the market manufacturers are more vulnerable to legal action and often more risk-averse The TÜV also trains its own playground inspectors who are taught to not always apply regulations literally but to carry out flexible risk assessments does not inspect playgrounds but outsources the job to private companies which can lead to a culture of box-ticking Germany’s dizzying climbing towers could soon become blueprints for playgrounds in Britain and the US The International Organisation for Standardisation is reviewing its standards for sports and recreational equipment and could in the future encourage playground designers to consider not just the risks but the benefits of wobbly bridges lopsided steps and tree-tall climbing frames “We are seeing a slow shift in attitudes,” says David Ball a professor of risk management at Middlesex University “There’s a realisation [in the UK] that playgrounds have become too sanitised: if you look at them only as a series of potential hazards We've picked out places for you that Berlin's tourists don't usually visit - but definitely should The typical tourist visit to Berlin often follows a fairly standardized protocol: Once along Unter den Linden to see the usual sights in one go bars and clubs there and the trip is already over You can certainly organize a nice visit to Berlin with all these typical places to go if you want to hike on the road less traveled to hunt for Berlin’s hidden gems is on the right track with us the Britzer Garten is a green area with ponds The building of the unconventional starfish on the main lake breaks out of the idyllic landscape with contrasting brutality The aesthetic concrete block was designed by Berlin architect Engelbert Kremser a famously passionate advocate of organic architecture which can be admired here in all its artistic forms We have already heard about the Nikolaiviertel elsewhere and have to do it again in a moment Despite its location right in the heart of Berlin the historic district is often overshadowed by Berlin’s many bigger and brighter attractions Just a five-minute walk from Alexanderplatz you will find an oasis here where time seems to have stopped winding alleyways and Biedermann-style houses bear witness to this A library in Ceylonese style is nestled right next to it Evening meditation sessions are also offered here several times a week promising respite from the usual tourist miles Not far from the concrete block you will find an urban oasis with lush greenery tranquil ponds and an enchanting waterfall – the only one in Berlin the Kreuzberg National Monument in particular attracts a lot of attention This is located on a hill just above the waterfall and therefore offers not only a wonderful view over the park but also a panoramic view of the whole city a mirror labyrinth that fuses nature and illusion Die Vorzüge der Windhühner (The Advantages of Windfowl) ([Berlin-Frohnau]: Luchterhand [1956]) The Nobel Prize winning novelist Günter Grass (born 1927) is also a respected visual artist Before the publication of his most famous novel Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum 1959) Grass studied sculpture and graphics first at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and then at the Universität der Künste Berlin (Berlin University of the Arts) Biographies describe his academic career as “a stonemason’s education.” to accompany his first book of poetry (his first publication) Grass designed lithographs to be interspersed between the poems and for the paper wrapper “It is hard to tell whether the poems are there to illustrate the drawings or the drawings to illustrate the poems.” In the Egg and Other Poems (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Firestone Library (F) PT2613.R338 A24 1977