Description Everything you need should be in the document. n UNFORMATTED ATTACHMENT PREVIEW This d ...
Description Everything you need should be in the document. n UNFORMATTED ATTACHMENT PREVIEW This discussion activity will have three parts. Please make sure you answer each part, hitting the minimum word count listed for each question. Part I: You just read the debate about German identity and the site of the former SS and Gestapo HQ. In your own words, describe the two competing visions of place in the debate and what they each said about German identity. Which side of the debate do you support? Why? (250 word minimum) Part II: Germans decided to confront their Nazi past through place by creating the Topography of Terror. In the US we also have shameful historic events. Please list a minimum of three shameful historic events/sites in the US that you think should be memorialized on the landscape so people never forget (like was done in Germany). (No minimum word count) Part III: Let's consider the events of January 6th, the day Congress was raided by Trump supporters. My guess is at some point a memorial will be set up to remember this day. What that memorial will look like however, will largely depend on what groups have the power to create the memorial and fix the memory of that day for future generations. As a thought experiment, answer the two following questions: ?? What might a memorial to January 6th look like if Democrats were in charge of creating it? ?? Conversely, what might a memorial to January 6th look like if Trump himself were in power to create it? These are obviously hypothetical so there is no right or wrong answer. I just want you think about how an event can be memorialized or remembered in very different ways depending on who has the power to create the memory in place (250 word minimum). Finally, please comment on one other student's post. Do you agree with them on questions 1, 2, and 3? Why yes or no? Here's my classmates post: “Part One An abandoned field in Berlin used to be the headquarters for the Nazi Gestapo and SS. In the 1980’s, as part of an urban renewal project, Berlin officials proposed building a cultural center on the site, but there were arguments against it. Activists believed that the site should be left alone, rubble and all. It should serve as an “open wound,” a place of admonition where Germans confront their horrific past. They argued that building over it would be an attempt to hide that history. This option portrays Germans as a society of perpetrators, forcing Germans to admit that their grandparents were Nazis – it’s who they were. German citizens believed that the location should highlight all of German history, not just their Nazi period. This option advocated that German identity was more than their Nazi past. Germans had the lowest self-esteem and pride in their country, ashamed of their past. Citizens believed that a cultural museum would provide younger Germans a more positive view on German society. Personally, I understand both arguments. I align more with the citizen’s perspective, about advocating for a German identity beyond Nazism. However, I don’t believe that this is the proper location to build such a museum. The historical significance of that specific location is too great. I believe that building over it would indeed be hiding – whether intentional or not – their past. There are many other locations that can showcase a holistic and positive description of their history. While it’s important to move forward, it’s equally as important to acknowledge the past. Part Two The U.S. has committed countless horrors, yet we barely see these acknowledged in textbooks, much less memorialized. The first thing that comes to mind is plantation sites – many sites these days have turned into orchards where people host wedding ceremonies or other events. Few former-plantations – like the Whitney Plantation – actually acknowledge the horrors that occurred on their soil. Secondly, the Japanese internment camps. Though some are preserved, this part of American history is so downplayed that these historical sites don’t receive much traction. Finally, the Wounded Knee Massacre. There’s a modest stone monument at the Wounded Knee Creek, but it’s small and not maintained by the federal government. I believe that shameful sites like these should formally showcase the horrors that occurred, in order to promote a more educated society – similar to Germany’s Topography of Terror. Part Three History isn’t just about facts, but also about who gets to tell the story. If Democrats were to create the memorial, we might see a solemn site for reflection. Language like “insurrection,” “domestic terrorism,” and a “threat to democracy” might be used to emphasize the chaos and warn against political extremism and the dangers of misinformation. We might see names etched into stone (like Brain Sicknick) and interactive media displays showcasing security footage and statements from lawmakers. Ultimately, Democrats would want this event to be remembered as a violent, historic breach of democratic norms that should never be normalized or repeated. If Donald Trump were to create it, the narrative would be flipped – the riot would be reframed as revolutionary and heroic, American citizens fighting against a rigged and unfair election process. Arrested rioters would be portrayed as martyrs – GOP figures have described January 6th detainees as “political prisoners.” We can also predict a downplay in the violence that occurred, with Donald Trump repeatedly describing the rioters as “peaceful people” and “patriots.” I would guess that the memorial would have bold patriotic imagery, like American flags and eagle motifs. Would I be surprised if there was a statue of Donald Trump? Not really! Ultimately, the goal would be to reframe January 6th as a symbol of resistance, a rallying cry. Honestly, this thought experiment exemplifies how memorials don’t just preserve the past, but shape it. The way we remember something is deeply tied to who gets to define its meaning.” Purchase answer to see full attachment User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.
