An odd and haunting historical site
Journal #1: The Mushroom (Sacha Lann)
The mushroom stands silently, surrounded by a wealth of greenery that shields it from the rest of Berlin’s view. Though it was once meant to be a precursor to a gargantuan, imposing structure, I found it hard to be intimidated by this nondescript pillar, sheltered by trees and shrubs which cast dappled shadows on it in the sun.
As it sits useless among the greenery, the nickname ‘mushroom’ for this odd remnant of Nazi ambitions rings truer than ever. Its official name, the Schwerbelastungskörper (“heavy load-bearing body”), represents its original purpose: to test the ability of Berlin’s sandy soil to bear the weight of Hitler’s planned Triumphal Arch, which would stand taller than the Eiffel tower as a symbol of power and intimidation. But now, the mushroom has outlived its purpose, letting both nature and the city of Berlin reclaim it as a memorial.
Now, visitors can enter it freely, with the original tools and installations appearing untouched, giving it the feel of an abandoned building. It was fascinating to explore the inside and join the others in climbing down an unstable ladder into a dusty alcove which probably wasn’t intended for visitors to enter.
What affected me more, however, was climbing several stories of stairs to get a view of the mushroom from above. It hit me while I was up there that, while the architecture of the mythical ‘Germania’ planned by Hitler was meant to be viewed from below, making you feel small and insignificant, people now get to view this remnant of architecture from the opposite perspective: standing over it.
The graffiti that covers the metal railings is also a comforting testament to the countless people who have been there looking over the mushroom before me. It feels like these aspects of the memorial make it more effective in reclaiming the space. Even more importantly, its visibility serves as a reminder that these ambitions for Germania, though never realized, were not just fantasies. The construction had already started.
It seems like a very salient reminder as we look back to the United States, where our soil is now being tested for our own potential Triumphal Arch in Washington, D.C. While the mushroom stands as a reminder of authoritarianism and hubris in Berlin, its warnings don’t seem to carry all the way through the walls of the White House, although they ring in the ears of many Americans who know this history.
