The Garrison Church in Potsdam : Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Reflection

This thesis investigates the reconstruction of the Garrison Church (Garnisonkirche) in Potsdam, a historically burdened site intricately tied to Prussian militarism and its symbolic appropriation by the Nazi regime. Severely damaged during World War II and demolished by the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the church’s contemporary rebuilding has sparked significant political and cultural controversy, raising urgent questions about memory, historical responsibility, and the instrumentalization of heritage in post-reunification Germany. The central research question examines how the legacy of militarism and nationalism is negotiated in the reconstruction process, and to what extent the site can be transformed into a space of reconciliation and critical historical reflection, particularly in the face of its appropriation by far-right political actors. Drawing on memory studies, critical heritage discourse, and German traditions of Erinnerungskultur and Vergangenheitsbewältigung, the study combines historical and narrative analysis within a single-case study design. Primary sources include institutional publications, exhibition materials, public discourse, and archived versions of the Garrison Church Foundation’s website. The findings demonstrate a pronounced tension between the church’s stated aims of remembrance and reconciliation and its institutional narrative. While early phases of the project invoked a moral commitment to confronting the past, more recent developments reveal a shift toward depoliticized cultural branding and touristic appeal. The increasing marginalization of critical voices, the removal of foundational documents, and the strategic reframing of public messaging suggest an erosion of transparency. Furthermore, the project’s symbolic ambiguity has created openings for nationalist reinterpretation, reinforcing rather than confronting the very ideologies it claims to transcend. By situating the Garrison Church reconstruction within broader debates on memory politics and contested heritage, this thesis argues that the site embodies both the potential and the fragility of critical remembrance in contemporary Germany.