Today we learned a great deal and discovered even more about Germany, its media, culture and people. We set off this morning to Freie Universitat, led by our tour manager Lorena Bianchi and Dr. Elfriede Fursich, visiting professor of journalism studies at the International Center for Journalism there. We have Dr. Dane Claussen, a wonderful former colleague at Point Park, for suggesting her as a contact (he had met her during his doctoral studies at the University of Georgia), to thank. She is just lovely — the right combination of intelligence and insight, with a warm personality and good sense of humor. Her students must love her. Tremendous presentation.
Elfriede lectured us on Influence of the Media on the German people during World War II and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, as well as the Current German Media Landscape. Lecture isn’t really the right word. She informed and engaged us, offering great insight into those two time periods and right now. She put Hitler’s rise to power in perspective: great propaganda, excellent use of new technology (radio and film) and unbelievable ruthlessness, set against the backdrop of severe economic depression and political disarray. People wanted solutions, and he delivered them. And after he was conquered and the country and Berlin divided among the Allies, the communists used and blocked media (of course no freedom the press was permitted, but technology beat their attempts to stifle media messages — particularly from TV and radio) to suit their purposes. It succeeded to great extent until 1989 (and really 1990 if you count the reunification).
Germans are strong people and determined to have their way. The students have extreme power in their university system’s administration, she told us for example, and can strike and disrupt operations. Advisory councils can hold sway over media programming. The government assists some media with license fees while subscriptions fill revenue gaps with limited advertising. But media here are experiencing declines, much like the United States, but maybe not as much. Conglomeration has cut jobs and closed outlets. You’ll have to read Sara Tallerico’s story to get the full details.
Jan, David and I spent some time at the Topographie of Terrors after our return from the lecture. This combination of outside exhibition, including some of the Berlin Wall, and the accompanying museum detail Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, taking control of the government and systematically getting rid of opponents and the undesirables. The photographs are horrifying, sickening, deplorable — just not enough adjectives to describe it all. But it’s mesmerizing. We didn’t get all the way through and plan to finish it tomorrow if we can squeeze it in with our schedule. But we will see it.
That shameful period in German history is on view in many places, including the double path of cobblestones that run the 92 miles the wall had been in place around the city. But you must give this city credit for offering this particular incredible history lesson for free to all who visit or live here. And I hope those reading this get the same chance that I have to see it in person. I’m incredibly fortunate to have this experience.
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