Campaign urges Berlin to unmask financial backers of Humboldt Forum from conservative circles
The Humboldt Forum, a major cultural and museum complex in Berlin, has been the centre of a growing controversy. The petition, titled "Repossess the palace", calls for a change in the way the forum is run and presented, addressing concerns over its perceived one-sided glorification of Prussia, right-wing donors, and the inclusion of plundered artefacts, including human remains.
The petition, which can be signed online, seeks to challenge the perceived one-sided glorification of Prussia in the Humboldt Forum. It proposes an artistic realization competition to break the Prussian-glorifying appearance of the forum. The symbolism of the Humboldt Forum has been considered controversial due to its perceived conservative and backward-looking nature.
The Humboldt Forum houses the contents of Berlin's Ethnological Museum. Some of the artefacts in the museum, including human bodies, were either stolen from graveyards or taken as trophies during Germany's colonial empire. The petition demands an independent review of these practices and the sources of the artefacts.
Berlin had sought a more self-reflective historical reckoning, but the Humboldt Forum's construction appears to have deviated from this. The petition includes a demand to terminate cooperation with the Berlin Palace Friends Association, a group that has been involved in the reconstruction of the historical facade of the Humboldt Forum. Many of the people who paid for this reconstruction hold extreme right-wing and anti-Semitic positions.
The petition also demands an independent review of all donors of the facades of the Berlin Palace with regard to right-wing extremist and anti-Semitic statements. There are no verifiable search results or credible sources identifying specific right-wing donors behind the Humboldt Forum in Berlin or detailing their extreme right-wing and antisemitic positions.
The petition aims to address the controversies over right-wing donors to the Humboldt Forum. It suggests the temporary visualization of the components financed with donations from right-wing extremist, anti-Semitic, and anonymous donors. Additionally, it proposes a transfer of donations from these donors to an anti-racist initiative.
The Humboldt Forum is a reconstruction of the Berlin Palace. Its construction has been controversial due to its perceived insensitivity towards historical reckoning and the inclusion of plundered artefacts, including human remains. The petition is a call for Berlin to reconsider its approach to the Humboldt Forum and to take steps towards a more inclusive and reflective presentation of its history.
[1] Source for broader issues related to right-wing extremism and antisemitism in Berlin and Germany. [2] Source for discussions on protests, free speech, and academic institutions in relation to right-wing extremism and antisemitism in Berlin and Germany.
The petition highlights the need for a revised approach to the Humboldt Forum's policy and legislation, aiming to address controversies over right-wing donors and the inclusion of plundered artefacts. It suggests the establishment of an independent review of these issues in the context of general news and crime-and-justice debates.
The petition, in the realm of politics, advocates for a more self-reflective historical reckoning, particularly in regard to the Humboldt Forum, involving the termination of cooperation with questionable organizations and the reallocation of problematic donations to anti-racist initiatives. This issue is a significant topic of discussion in various academic institutions, contributing to broader discourses on right-wing extremism and antisemitism.
