Obama's speech at Berlin's Victory Column still contentious

Berlin is getting ready for Barack Obama’s visit this Thursday. Today's Tagesspiegel predicts what Chancellor Merkel and Obama will discuss beforehand (the economy), Germany’s Social Democratic Party has made clear [1] they do not want any call for more German troops in Afghanistan, and the current cover story [2] of Der Spiegel explores how much “change” Europe can expect from the popular candidate.

But the venue of his anticipated speech, Berlin's Victory Column (Siegesäule), a compromise from Obama's first choice of the Brandenburg Gate, is still point of contention with some German politicians. Rainer Brüderle of the opposition Liberal Party (FDP) recently told [3] Bild: "The Siegessäule in Berlin was moved from the Reichstag (German parliament) to its current position by Adolf Hitler." Brüderle further wondered "if Barack Obama has been well advised to use it as the site of a speech outlining his vision of a world of cooperation." Andreas Schockenhoff of the governing Christian Democrats criticized the "unhappy symbolism," saying that "the Berlin Victory Colum is dedicated to victory over neighbors who today are our European friends and allies." House speaker Nancy Pelosi defended [4] the decision, citing the Victory Column as a momument belonging to world history.

As noted [5] a few days ago, I think the Victory Column is actually a good choice of venue for Obama's speech. He can build his own legacy, speak relatively close to where he originally wanted to, and break German-American relations out of its Cold War shadow.

A few thoughts on the scuffle:

What Brüderle and Schockhoff should consider is that history made the monuments. The Schöneberg Town Hall, where John F. Kennedy uttered his famous "ich bin ein Berliner" words, was simply West Berlin’s town hall. Berlin's Tempelhof Airport, site of the Berlin Airlift, once stood on the ground of Prussian parade field. The airport was later renovated and expanded by the Nazis to act as a gateway to Europe and a symbol of a world metropole. The Brandenburg Gate itself was also once a symbol of Prussian victory: After Napoleon's defeat 1814 and Prussian occupation of Paris, the Quadriga was restored to the top of the gate along with a new symbol of Prussian power, an Iron Cross.

If these politicians truly believe that the Siegesäule evokes Prussian nationalism, that should be exactly the reason for them to applaud it as the location for Obama’s speech. Just as the Cold War images associated with these monuments overshadow their respective histories, Obama’s speech would reappropriate Siegesauele’s alleged militaristic undertones to ones of transatlantic friendship.

What they also ignore is that the Column’s symbolism and importance to German history culture has already evolved. Der Spiegel reports [6] that the Revolutionary Cells, a West German-based leftist urban guerilla organization, attempted to detonate a bomb close to the tower in 1991. In the late 90’s the column also became a symbol for the Love Parade, an annual techno music festival which previously took place in Berlin. But the structure is today most famous for being the endpoint of the annual Christopher Street Day parade, as well as the eponymously named magazine that reports outings in the gay and lesbian community.

But leaving aside talk of Prussia, gay Berlin, and techno festivals, I wonder if Barack Obama’s Siegesäule visit is supposed to allude to another victory: his own.