In German history, the date of November 9th carries with it the memory of a number of historical events including the Nazi-led anti-Jewish pogrom in 1938 and the breaching of
the Berlin Wall in 1989. In an effort to acknowledge themultiple ways in which this important date resonates in the Germany of the present, CCGES is presenting a series of activities on November 9, 2011 which are intended to do justice to the layers of memory which accompany this day.
Lecture: Berlin – A City Facing Its Legacy (part of Holocaust Education Week program)
Dr. Thorsten Wagner, Danish Institute for Study Abroad
At noon, the Centre will host Dr. Thorsten Wagner, an expert on modern European Jewish History and the Holocaust from the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, for a lecture presented as part of Holocaust Education Week . Entitled “Berlin – A City Facing Its Legacy”, this talk will examine the way the German capital has dealt with the physical remants of its history and the ongoing search for commemoration, admonition and learning. The talk will take place in room 749 York Research Tower from noon to 1:30 pm and is open to all.
Berlin's Brandenburg Gate behind the Berlin Wall (1989)
Poster Exhibit Marking 50th Anniversary of the Construction of the Berlin Wall
To mark the breach of the Berlin Wall on November 9th, 1989, CCGES is pleased to present a poster exhibit on the history of this structure all day inYork’s Vari Hall. This exhibit was prepared by the German Foreign Ministry for the 50th anniversary of the building of the Wall which took place on August 13, 1961 and will appear at York thanks to the generosity of the German Consulate Toronto.
CCGES Faculty Affiliates and Staff will be present in Vari Hall between 9 am and 4:30 pm to offer information on the exhibit and this chapter of German history. Those interested in a more formal tour of the exhibit, are asked to contact Centre Coordinator John Paul Kleiner at < jkleiner@yorku.ca> or 416 736 5695.
Film Screenings
Divided Heaven (1964), 10 am, 749 York Research Tower
Wings of Desire (1986), 2 pm, York Research Tower
Finally, we will be screening two films thematically related to the Wall in room 749 York Research Tower.
At 10 am, we screen Divided Heaven (1964) a story of love, idealism and disappointment against a Cold War backdrop which is based on a work by one of East Germany’s most respected authors, Christa Wolf.
At 2 pm, we will show Wings of Desire (1986), Wim Wenders classic tale set in 1980s Berlin of an angel who falls in love with a mortal and gives up his immortality to return to earth to live a most human of lives.
