Glockenspiel in Potsdam to Get Wrapped in Felt Covering
In April 1945, Potsdam Garrison Church suffered a devastating fire during a bombing raid. This iconic site, riddled with controversy, faced another destabilizing event in 1968 as the ruins were blown up. The restoration of the church tower was ongoing by August 2024, though the dome and the bells were still missing. The tower's doors opened regardless, and nearby, a replica of the historic carillon stood silent since 2019.
Orders from Mayor Mike Schubert (SPD) silenced the carillon, as it became apparent that the Potsdam Carillon Tradition Society had overlooked something significant after reunification. The carillon's base, untouched since 1937, bore right-wing inscriptions glorifying the Wehrmacht. For years, the tradition society maintained and repaired the carillon until 2006 when the Society for the Promotion of the Restoration of the Garrison Church took over.
When the carillon was shut off, an informative sign disappeared. The Garrison Church Learning Center now wishes to take care of the carillon, offering its expertise in engaging critically with the church's restoration and research on the problematic inscriptions. However, the carillon is under monument protection, making it impossible to demolish it.
The city council decided to artistically comment on the carillon in 2021, but no steps have been taken in that direction since. Given financial constraints, it seems unlikely that anything will change soon. Architecture Professor Philipp Oswalt is a potential operator, supporting the artistically funded project "Glockenstille" by Annette Paul. She plans to wrap the bells in colorful felt, making silence visible, and intends to hold speeches "with fervor, but without sound" in opposition to the proposed further construction of the Garrison Church.
Annette Paul's innovative ideas include placing the phrase "Ceci nest pas un château" on the Landtag, clarifying for French-speaking tourists that they are not standing before the old Potsdam City Palace but the new parliament building from 2014. The Traditional Community of the Potsdam Bell Tower, founded by Max Klaar (a former commander of a parachute battalion of the German Armed Forces) in 1984, displayed early signs of problematic intentions. Klaar had replicas of the Garrison Church bells crafted before reunification, which caused controversy when they were offered to the city of Potsdam in 1990.
The rebuilt Garrison Church remains a point of contention due to its historical ties to fascists and Prussian militarists. For instance, Hitler and President Paul von Hindenburg shook hands in the church during the solemn opening of the Reichstag in 1933. The rebuilding process aims to address these controversies while preserving the church's cultural heritage.
The Potsdam Carillon Tradition Society, in its charge of the carillon, overlooked right-wing inscriptions during the reconstruction after reunification. During the ongoing restoration of the Garrison Church tower, questions about the carillon's problematic history have emerged, prompting discussions about its future, including Annette Paul's proposal to wrap the bells in colorful felt as a silent commentary.
