Fake history
October 27, 2009
The federal government transport ministry and the Prussian Cultural Heritage trust issued a statement Monday saying that construction of the flagship City Palace project in the heart of Berlin's tourist district will not begin until the spring of 2011, and not fall 2010 as previously planned.
State Secretary Engelbert Luetke Daldrup told reporters, "I assume that a construction period of five to six years is realistic," a statement that flew in the face of previous predictions that the construction would be completed in 2013.
No explanation was given for the delay, but Luetke Daldrup did not comment on suggestions that it was due to the government competition watchdog's recent verdict that the contract with Italian architect Franco Stella was invalid.
Stella won a jury-judged competition to oversee the reconstruction of the palace, but after his rival Hans Kollhoff complained about a lack of transparency, the watchdog ruled that Stella had not been eligible to participate. The government is to appeal against the watchdog's decision.
Reconstructed history
Three sides of the new building are set to be a faithful reconstruction of the facade of the old Prussian City Palace which stood on the site for around five centuries, and was the residence of several Prussian kings and German Kaisers.
It was demolished by the communist East German government in 1950 to make way for the Palast der Republik, or Palace of the Republic, which housed both the East German parliament and several leisure venues. The Palace of the Republic was torn down in 2006 - 2008, despite heavy protests from many Berliners who had grown attached to the building.
The reconstruction of the old palace, which is set to house the Humboldt-Forum, a complex including an ethnological museum, part of the Berlin state library and a cultural venue, is proving as controversial as the destruction of the communist Palace.
Huge costs
Apart from the aesthetic message that a straight reconstruction of an imperial palace sends, many people are concerned about the 472 million euros ($702 million) the taxpayer is expected to contribute to the cost. Around 368 million euros are to come from federal coffers, while the city of Berlin will contribute 32 million euros. A further 80 million euros are expected from private donations, and the federal government will spend 72 million euros on the design and creation of the interior. This brings the total cost of the new Stadtschloss to 552 million euros.
The center of Berlin around the site is currently being extensively revamped according to historical guidelines. Old roads are to be widened to make them more habitable, while the massive thoroughfares in the city center will be narrowed. A number of modern residential blocks are also being planned.
bk/AP/dpa
Editor: Nancy Isenson