The Art of Rebellion
Department
History and Political Science
Major
History
Research Advisor
Behrendt, Andrew
Advisor's Department
History and Political Science
Funding Source
Personal Resources and Advisor's Faculty Support Account
Abstract
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 will always bring to mind the destruction of its colorful walls of concrete panels. The imagery of people slamming the wall with sledgehammers and pickaxes seems to speak loudly to what the people of Berlin thought about the wall. But what about the other decades within the Wall’s nearly thirty-year existence? What did the citizens of Berlin think about the wall then? One way to answer these questions is to use the graffiti found on the wall.
The graffiti on the Berlin Wall, when analyzed, can be separated into four different eras: The Era of Minimal Graffiti (1961-1977), The Era of Political Graffiti (1978-1982), The Era of Artistic Graffiti (1983-1989), and the Era of Memorialization Graffiti (1989-Present). Different locations where the wall stood (or is standing), like Bernauer Strasse, Zimmerstrasse, Potsdamer Platz, and Westminster College all show what these different eras represent and how they show the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressive wall. Case studies from the wall, like the graffitied statement “Freiheit für Weinhold”, also help to give an in depth look into how these eras help to show the relationship between the wall and the civilians in its shadows.
Biography
Ethan Prior is a senior working on a B. A. in history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. After graduation, Ethan plans on moving forward to earning a masters and doctorate in history, with hopes on becoming a professor.
Presentation Type
OURE Fellows Final Oral Presentation
Document Type
Presentation
Location
Ozark Room
Presentation Date
14 Apr 2022, 11:30 am - 12:00 pm
The Art of Rebellion
Ozark Room
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 will always bring to mind the destruction of its colorful walls of concrete panels. The imagery of people slamming the wall with sledgehammers and pickaxes seems to speak loudly to what the people of Berlin thought about the wall. But what about the other decades within the Wall’s nearly thirty-year existence? What did the citizens of Berlin think about the wall then? One way to answer these questions is to use the graffiti found on the wall.
The graffiti on the Berlin Wall, when analyzed, can be separated into four different eras: The Era of Minimal Graffiti (1961-1977), The Era of Political Graffiti (1978-1982), The Era of Artistic Graffiti (1983-1989), and the Era of Memorialization Graffiti (1989-Present). Different locations where the wall stood (or is standing), like Bernauer Strasse, Zimmerstrasse, Potsdamer Platz, and Westminster College all show what these different eras represent and how they show the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressive wall. Case studies from the wall, like the graffitied statement “Freiheit für Weinhold”, also help to give an in depth look into how these eras help to show the relationship between the wall and the civilians in its shadows.
