Students of the Anna Essinger School stand at the inauguration of the temporary memorial they designed for the barricade fighters of 1848 on Schlossplatz.
© dpa
With a weekend for democracy, Berlin commemorates the 175th anniversary of the barricade fights on March 18 and 19, 1848.
All over the capital, some 20 cultural institutions have planned exhibitions, talks, performances and artistic happenings as part of the Weekend for Democracy.
March 18, 1848 is considered an important date in the revolution of 1848/49. The events cleared the way for the first written constitution of the Prussian state at that time. On March 18, a large number of people gathered in front of the Berlin Palace in anticipation of a response from the king to previously delivered demands. Two shots triggered a barricade fight that quickly engulfed the city center. More than 250 people died.
As a memorial to the barricade fighters of 1848, a temporary monument was installed on Thursday on Schlossplatz, where the Humboldt Forum now stands. From a five-meter pillar equipped with mirrors, information about the historical events is distributed via loudspeaker.
Berlin pop artist Jim Avignon has marked a route of the revolution between Friedrichstraße and the Humboldt Forum. For this purpose, Avignon has painted figures of ten Berlin personalities that are intended to illuminate various aspects of the March Revolution. It is about the fight on the barricades as well as the commitment to democracy.
The significance of posters for demonstrations and revolutionary events is highlighted by the nationwide youth poster competition "Revolution gestalten!". Award-winning results are on display at the Humboldt Forum. The Berlin History Workshop examines the role of women in the revolution. In addition, a conference will deal with research, remembrance and communication of the democratic-historical chapter of the revolution. The European and global dimensions of the events will also be considered.