Conversations Behind Lace Curtains

This is the core question that the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition answers in various ways. It is primarily the people who came here from all over Europe and the world. Many aspects of the exhibition show how Berlin is connected to the world and how it has developed through immigration since the Middle Ages. Without the Bohemians, Jews, or Slavs who came to Berlin for centuries to escape religious persecution, war, or economic hardship, the city on the Spree would not have become the metropolis it is today.

“There have always been close relationships between Poles and Berlin, whether due to proximity, political and social developments, or familial ties,” says Anna Krenz. She likes to quote Kurt Tucholsky, who wrote in the “Berliner Abendblatt” in 1919: “The Berliner is mostly from Posen or Breslau and has no time.” The artist, who has lived in Berlin since 2003, is a co-founder of the Dziewuchy Berlin collective and the Ambasada Polek e. V. association, which are committed to feminist and queer art projects. Through their actions, they drew attention to grievances and persecution in their homeland, which was then still governed by the conservative PiS party.

The Open Space consists of three parts. Firstly, the artists have selected seven “Polish Places in Berlin” to exemplify where over 150 years of shared history is visible. Another exhibition area is a multi-part film installation. It includes interviews with Berliners of different generations discussing the significance of the Solidarność movement for Berlin and German-Polish solidarity today. It also addresses everyday racism and numerous German prejudices against Poles.

A Polish mother and her daughter report that the child, who grew up in Berlin, was not allowed to learn Polish because the mother feared it would be a disadvantage. The daughter, on the other hand, complains that an important part of her identity was withheld from her, which she could only reclaim as a young adult.

“I don’t want to portray us Poles as victims, as has been the theme throughout the centuries. The civil society in Poland has shown that we can engage and make a difference. We are all fighting for freedom, equality, and Solidarność,” says Anna Krenz.

Communication between countries and their people is the most important thing, emphasizes the artist, especially in difficult times, even though there is finally a sense of optimism in today’s Poland after the 2023 government change.