Postmodernism and the fall of the Berlin Wall: the role of postmodernism in Berlin’s aesthetic before and after 1989

Abstract

This thesis takes as its focus the impact of postmodern critical theory on the vanishing Berlin Wall and on the work of selected German artists working before, during and after the fall of the Wall. It discusses the Wall itself as a sign that has been subjected to various discursive translations: from divider of a nation to exhibition space; concrete monstrosity to stage-prop. This thesis draws parallels between art theory, political history and aesthetic urban development, arguing that the fall of the Berlin Wall can be interpreted as a result of postmodern theory. As such, this study contributes to the existing canon of literature on Berlin’s reunification an account of postmodernism’s role within the regenerating city