A gate to a darker world: Excavating at the tempelhof airport

Abstract

An archaeology of the recent past has no academically established place in the German university system. Memory politics, on the other hand, especially in connection to the Nazi period, is highly thematized in history departments but also underpins the work of grass-roots as well as more institutionalized organizations. In this chapter we discuss the genesis of an archaeological project that focuses on twentieth century remains, in particular those of the Nazi period (1933-1945), at the former Tempelhof airfield (Berlin). We explore some of the tensions and confrontations that surround such a project, especially the intertwining of archaeology, memory politics, and the varying interests with stakes in the ways this large open park in the midst of the bustling city of Berlin is used.