My research has been primarily focused on the effects that war has had on green spaces in Berlin. Berliners use green spaces in their daily lives to take a break from city life. However, these green spaces were heavily bombed during both World War I and World War II creating a lot of blank space in the city (Jackish, 2014). Along with many buildings being bombed, Berlin had a lot of above ground bunkers and air raid towers. Finding a purpose for these has also been a challenge that Berlin faced. This has lead to Berlin putting a hard focus on maintaining green spaces within the city.
How has Berlin adapted to be able to maintain these green spaces despite having forest and buildings devastated during the wars?
After researching the cities plan to reincarnate bombed buildings, bunkers, and forest, I found that they were turning them into green spaces and other innovative sites (McDonnell, 2012). Spaces like Devil’s Mountain was created after rubble was put on top of an old Nazi military academy and then turned into an old American Spy station (O’Sullivan, 2017). This became the largest hill in a rather flat country. The innovation that lead to this mountain is what they have been doing all over the city. Turning old bunkers into green parks within the city, rubble into mountains. The ideas are endless.
While conducting my surveys, I primarily wanted to understand how Germans are educated on their knowledge of the history of green spaces. I asked questions like “Where you taught about the history of green spaces in school in Berlin”, in which every participant said no. “Is there any historical event that may attribute to the amount of green spaces in Berlin”. I got some varied responses but it was primarily about the use of old bunkers for green spaces. Another interesting response that I found was that many people attribute the way Berlin was formed to its amount of green spaces. They told me that Berlin was formed with many small villages and large green spaces between. When Berlin formed, they kept as much green space between the villages.
Both of these answers are crucial for my research. One of them supports my overall research question, while the other provides another point to take into perspective when thinking about my research. Understanding that people in Berlin recognize the history of green spaces supports my research question that the history of war has affected the green spaces. However, the other point about the formation of Berlin as a whole city gives me further background knowledge of why Berlin has a large number of green spaces.
Sustainability plays a role in this as well because Germans were discarding rubble in ways that allowed for new spaces by using recycled material. I think that the innovation that they had when doing this comes from a sustainable mindset that is set deep in their minds.
I have really enjoyed this exchange and getting to understand different perspectives. I think that it is very important to understand how our country is viewed by other global citizens and the way that our culture is being perceived.
Sarah Qaddumi April 16, 2023
Josephine,Thank you for sharing your research on the effects of war on green spaces in Berlin . It is amazing to observe how Berlin has adjusted in order to preserve its green areas in spite of the destruction inflicted by the wars.
The amazing and forward-thinking solutions that Berlin has put into place, such as transforming abandoned bunkers and piles of debris into green areas, are illustrative of the city’s dedication to environmental preservation. It is also important to note the viewpoint that certain Berliners have towards the formation of the city and how it is connected to the availability of green areas in the surrounding area.
Your research poses significant concerns regarding the education and knowledge of the history of green areas in Berlin, particularly with regard to the ways in which the conflicts have influenced that history. To properly appreciate a location and ensure that its natural resources are protected, it is essential to get an understanding of the cultural and historical background of that location.
We are grateful that you have provided us with the results of your study and insights. It is always beneficial to get a global perspective and obtain knowledge about the experiences of people living in a variety of communities all around the world.
Luna Al Mallah April 16, 2023
Josephine, to begin with I would like to commend you on your clear and thorough writing since I found what you were saying to be quite comprehensible and simple to follow. Your study of Berlin’s green areas throughout the war and the creative ways the city has kept them up is encouraging. It’s admirable to see how Berlin used the damage caused by the war as a chance to develop fresh, long-lasting green areas. The element that most struck me about your study is how crucial it is to comprehend a place’s history and cultural setting in order to truly comprehend the relevance of its present situation.
Being able to comprehend the context in which a place exists now requires knowledge of its history. The fact that Berlin’s history of conflict and devastation has had a profound influence on the city’s green areas is quite reasonable. However, the city has utilized its imaginative spirit to transform these districts into fresh green spaces and cutting-edge locations, which is inspirational, rather than just reconstructing them as they were before.
As you pointed out in your study, it’s also important to grasp Berlin’s development history in order to comprehend why the city has so many green places. I didn’t know that Berlin was made up of a number of tiny villages with a lot of open space in between. Given this historical backdrop, it is easier to understand why Berlin’s green areas now continue to play such a significant role in the city’s culture and identity.
What, in your opinion, can other cities learn from building and sustaining green areas from Berlin?
Mohammad Arafat Yousef April 16, 2023
Josephine, I appreciate you sharing your research on Berlin’s green spaces and how war affects them. The thing that most struck me about your study is how important it is to understand a place’s history and cultural setting in order to truly comprehend the relevance of its present situation. Your study of Berlin’s green areas throughout the war and the creative ways the city has kept them up is encouraging. It’s admirable to see how Berlin used the damage caused by the war as a chance to develop fresh, long-lasting green areas. In light of the manner in which the wars have shaped that history, your research raises serious questions about the level of knowledge and education about Berlin’s open spaces. It is crucial to get knowledge of the cultural and historical context of a place in order to appreciate it fully and ensure the protection of its natural riches. Understanding Berlin’s development history is crucial to understanding why the city has so many green spaces, as you pointed out in your paper. I had no idea that Berlin was a collection of several tiny settlements, with a lot of open space in between. With this historical context, it is simpler to comprehend why Berlin’s green spaces continue to play such a big part in the city’s culture and identity. We appreciate you sharing your research findings and insights with us. Gaining insight into people’s experiences in various communities around the world and gaining a global perspective are always useful.
Aydarus Abdi April 16, 2023
Thank you for your research on the effects of war on the green spaces in Berlin. It’s interesting to learn how the green spaces were made use of after the impact of wars, and the innovative ways the city has transformed bombed buildings, bunkers, and even rubble. It was surprising to hear that none of the participants were taught about the history of green spaces in school. It is critical to understand the history of green spaces and how historical events such as conflict have impacted them. I believe it is important for people to understand the importance of green spaces and the problems that come with sustaining them. Another point worth mentioning is the sustainable mindset when discarding the rubble. It’s thoughtful and impressive how they were able to create new spaces while being mindful of the environment. This shows that sustainability is valued in the culture. Overall, your research has provided valuable insights into the importance of green spaces and the challenges in developing and maintaining them. My question for you is, how does the development of the green spaces affect the mental state of the residents in those areas?
Haneen El Sharif April 16, 2023
Thank you Josephine for this great research on Berlin’s green spaces and how they were affected by the war. I see that Berlin is facing a number of challenges regarding the use of its green spaces after they were heavily affected by World War 1 and 2. I am personally amazed by Berlin’s innovative efforts in transforming ‘ruined’ areas (bombed buildings, bunkers, and forests) into green spaces and useful sites within the city. However, this makes me think – this must have cost a lot of money, so how did Berlin fund this? Was the funding done in a way that was fair to its citizens? Or did they have to pay a price?
Moreover, I think it is great that you have put effort towards researching the level of education Germans have regarding the history of green spaces in their country. After all, the green areas existing today were born out of historical events. However, it saddens me to see that all participants in your survey said they did not receive historical education regarding green spaces at school. Because green areas are a major part of the country’s development, I believe their history should be integrated in the educational system. On another note, it is great to see that sustainability plays a role in this, as Germans used recycled material in rebuilding these spaces.
Finally, I would like to offer my deep and sincere thanks for sharing these insights. The topic at hand is extremely interesting and I have greatly enjoyed reading your inputs on it. I would like to end this response by asking for your opinion on the importance of integrating the history of green spaces in educational systems. Do you think schools in Germany should add this history to their school systems? Why or why not?