Summer School for Metropolitan Studies Berlin’ urban heritage: Burden or Boomer? The International Summer School "Metropolitan Studies" is a program jointly organized by the
International Office at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Georg Simmel Center for Metropolitan
Studies. Berlin is a city with a complex and multilayer heritage as well as a city with extremendous
social and political changes within the last two decades. In that context heritage was used,
neglected and redefined. Today Berlin host three World Heritage Sites, various listed sites,
buildings and gardens, as well as difficult memorials and memories. Some sites are still in the
focus of urban discussions as the project of reconstructing the castle, others are unknown as
the World Heritage Site of Berlin’s settlements. During the Summer School 2012 we want to explore what is Berlin’s heritage and who is
defining, using and managing it. We will focus the relation between the material and
immaterial elements of the heritage and the juxtaposition between static and dynamic in
regard to the concepts of cultural heritage. Thereby we look at social, historical, political,
economical and asthetic dimensions of the heritage and relate them to the ongoing processes
of urban life. From different academic perspectives we will introduce various theoretical concepts and we
will get to know governing instruments as well as experience social and architectural realities.
With the participation of academics and urban actors the course will integrate different
theoretical and practical approaches to Berlin’s urban heritage. Readings, site visits as well as
interviews with stakeholders will support lectures and debates. A student’s mini-case study
will complete the summer school. Lessons will be from 9.00am - 3.00pm, own studying will be requested for the afternoons. |
