PRESS RELEASE| 15 May 2024

Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum

The Palace of the Republic was built 50 years ago on the site where the Humboldt Forum is located today. The special exhibition Blown Away:The Palace of the Republic casts a light on the history of the Palace, from its initial planning as an element in the urban fabric through its various uses over time to the Schlossplatz debate and its eventual demolition. The exhibition revolves around interviews from the “Remembrance at the Humboldt Forum” project – a mix of prominent figures and people whose stories have not been heard before. The history of the Palace becomes part of the present through personal memories, special objects, and a look at political and social developments.The exhibition forms part of the 2024 programme of the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, which focuses on the Palace of the Republic. To accompany it, there is a varied line-up of events, guided tours, the theatre production Bau auf! Bau ab! by Ron Zimmering starting on 17 May, themed days featuring a performative reading by and with Corinna Harfouch, workshops, and an artistic Virtual Reality installation.

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Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic
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A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
Foto: David von BeckerVisitors in front of Willi Sitte's painting ‘The Red Flag – Struggle, Suffering and Victory’ in the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic"
© Willi Sitte, Die rote Fahne – Kampf, Leid und Sieg, 1975/76 / © VG Bild Kunst, Bonn 2024 / Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
Visitors in front of Willi Sitte's painting ‘The Red Flag – Struggle, Suffering and Victory’ in the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic"
© Willi Sitte, Die rote Fahne – Kampf, Leid und Sieg, 1975/76 / © VG Bild Kunst, Bonn 2024 / Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
Visitor in front of fragments of the glass flower in the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© © Reginald Richter und Richard Wilhelm / Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
A look inside the special exhibition "Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic – Special exhibition and series of events in the Humboldt Forum"
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: David von Becker
Arerial view of Palast der Republik, Marx-Engels-Forum and Fernsehturm.
© bpk / Interflug-Luftbildarchiv
East Berlin – Palace of the Republic – Window front with the state emblem of the GDR
© bpk / Gerhard Kiesling
Palace of the Republic
© Wikimedia Commons / Istvan, CC-BY-SA 3.0
Arrival of coaches in front of the brightly lit Palace of the Republic
© Harry Hirschfeld / Deutsches Historisches Museum / digitale Reproduktion: Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss
View over the Marx-Engels Forum to the Palace of the Republic
© Harry Hirschfeld, Deutsches Historisches Museums, digitale Reproduktion: Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss
View over the Marx-Engels Forum to the Palace of the Republic
© Harry Hirschfeld, Deutsches Historisches Museums, digitale Reproduktion: Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss
View of the bar and guests on the 3rd floor of the foyer in the Palace of the Republic
© Hartmut Schorsch, Deutsches Historisches Museum, digitale Reproduktion: Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss
View of the "Espresso" café in the Palace of the Republic
© Abt. Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Palast der Republik
Milk bar in the Palace of the Republic
© Abt. Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Palast der Republik
Stairs behind the entrance to the Palace of the Republic on Marx-Engels-Platz, date of photograph: 01/05/1976,
© bpk / Herbert Fiebig
View into the staircase hall of the Palace of the Republic Date of photograph: 1970s
© bpk / Max Ittenbach
Sculpture "The Glass Flower" by glass artists Reginald Richter and Richard O. Wilhelm, date of photograph: n.d. (1970/80s)
© Gläserne Blume: Reginald Richter und Richard Wilhelm, bpk / Gerhard Kiesling
Performance by an FDJ singing group in the Great Hall of the Palace of the Republic, view from the stage into the audience
© Deutsches Historisches Museum / digitale Reproduktion: Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss
Demonstrators in front of the Palast der Republik on 4 November 1989
© bpk / Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED Diktatur / Klaus Mehner
Volkskammer meeting in the Palace of the Republic on 13 November 1989
© picture alliance / ZB / Paul Glaser
Aerial view, view of the dummy palace and the Palace of the Republic
© picture-alliance / akg-images / Reimer Wulf
The first visitors take a dinghy ride through the flooded Palace of the Republic in Berlin on 3 September 2004.
Demonstration against the demolition of the Palace of the Republic
© Wikipedia / Mazbln, creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/
Excursion boat on the Spree in front of the remains of the lift shafts and staircases of the demolished Palace of the Republic
© picture alliance / zb | Dieter Palm
Schlossplatz in Berlin – centre with Humboldtbox , on the right the viewing platform with a computer graphic of the planned city palace.
© picture alliance / photothek | Jonas Fischer
Excerpts from the virtual model of the Palace of the Republic by the Cyberräuber
© Visualisierung des Palasts der Republik: Cyberräuber
Visual of the exhibition "Hin und Weg. The Palace of the Republic is Present", which opens at the Humboldt Forum in 2024
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Foto: picture alliance / imageBROKER / dirk enters
Visual of the exhibition "Hin und Weg. The Palace of the Republic is Present", which opens at the Humboldt Forum in 2024
© Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss; bpk / Gerhard Kiesling