Re-listening, Re-living: Radio presentation brings Berlin spirit

Postwar reconstruction recaptures the initial magic of the Haus's sharp angularity (photo by Alex van Oss)

By Rebecca Park, Contributor

June 10, 2009 - Washington, DC:

Radio: it can be either a source of communication, news, or art. And last night at the Goethe-Institut, it was a little bit of all of the above. There, Alex van Oss told one tale, or “romp”, as he called it, of this medium with his multimedia exploration of the Haus des Rundfunks, Berlin’s Broadcasting House.

With funding from the Goethe-Institut, van Oss, an ex-NPR man, visited the German capital to make an audioportrait of the building, its history and its inhabitants. His presentation focused on one particularly dramatic chapter, that of the Nazi occupation of the Haus.

The event, which included excerpts from the audio feature, readings from historical and literary documents, photographs and van Oss’s personal sketches, deserves equal mention for its multimedia format as its subject matter. Sound brought architecture to life and gave texture to images, while photos and drawings added vivid color to soundscapes of the Haus. Exiting the forum, one left with the suggestion of another, more holistic way to communicate.

But the audience took away more than a simple history or production lesson. Van Oss’s mild manner and modest approach allowed a real message to subtly shine through. The Haus des Rundfunks is a remarkable example of Expressionist architecture, a witness to some of the most traumatic moments of German history and a home to modern radio revolutionaries, but, it turns out, it is most important as a place of intellectual exchange, a diplomatic fundamental.

Van Oss cited the miraculous postwar recovery of the institution as evidence of this trend. Whether camouflaged by concerned Berliners, consciously avoided by the occupying Allied forces or just plain lucky (all theories proposed during the evening), the Broadcasting House emerged from World War II greatly damaged, but still standing. Whatever the reason for its survival, it was integrated into postwar plans to play an active role in reconstruction, housing Sender Freies Berlin (Radio Free Berlin) from 1957 to 2003. Radio pioneers like Peter-Leonhard Braun roamed the halls, experimenting with acoustics and format, all while participating in a national cultural renewal.

During the evening, the image of the Haus des Rundfunks evolved from symbol of quashed liberties under the National Socialist regime to cradle of national rebirth to haven of radio innovation and excellence, the current day home of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) and the Prix Europa. What remains, though, is the power of the spoken word and the communal listening experience. Through words, images and sounds—WWII air sirens, the echo of footsteps through the hallowed radio house halls, the bustling and beeping of a Berlin street—van Oss demonstrated the transformative power of radio communication—the words whispered or yelled, to one person or millions over the airwaves—that can make or break nations.

To listen to the full audio feature, visit the Goethe-Institut Web site: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/wis/med/en4422034.htm

Return to Main Menu