The Kaiser, the Berlin Palace and German Colonialism
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| 5 EUR, reduced 2,50 EUR |
| Duration: 90 min |
| 14 years and older |
| German |
| Ground Floor, Hall 3 |
| Part of: SITE SPECIFICS |
Germany’s colonial past and the colonial context of the collections have become a major focus of public attention since the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art moved into the Humboldt Forum. The decision to present the exhibitions behind the reconstructed facades of the Berlin Palace sparked heated debates – since the seat of the monarchy was also a symbol of Prussian and German imperialism.
The Stiftung Humboldt Forum therefore commissions a number of studies to analyse the role of the site in Germany’s colonial history.
A first study focussed on the role of Kaiser Wilhelm II as a representative of the Reich as well as a political actor, and the importance of the Berlin Palace as a place of colonial representation and decision-making.
With the historian Jonas Kreienbaum, a proven expert on German colonial history could be won for this research. Dr. Kreienbaum will present and contextualise the results in a discussion with Alfred Hagemann, Head of the Department History of the Site.
PD Dr. Jonas Kreienbaum heads the DFG-funded research project “Neoliberal Globalization or ‘global disconnect’?” at the Global History Department of Freie Universität Berlin. He studied modern and contemporary history, philosophy and political science at the Humboldt University in Berlin, where he received his doctorate in 2013. In 2020 he habilitated at the University of Rostock. In his research he deals with the history of colonialism, decolonization, mass violence and economic crises. Most recently, on behalf of the Stiftung Humboldt Forum, he examined the coloniality of the Berlin Palace and the role of Kaiser Wilhelm II in German colonialism.