Memorial to the German Members of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, Berlin-Friedrichshain

illustrations of the planned artistic annotation, test installation of a 1:1 model and layout

An equally old and simple yet effective way to invite people to linger and view something is a bench. Up until now, in the entire space in front of the monument, there has not been a single place for guests to sit and linger. Interested passers-by, who by all means exist, sit either on top of the wall behind the monument site or on the stone stairway, with their backs to the monument. In contrast, the newly created bench invites visitors to linger and, relaxed, to view the monument head on. This inviting effect is heightened by the street lamp installed next to the bench, which begins to illuminate the seating area at dusk.

Yet the monument structure is more than it appears at first glance. When a passer-by approaches the monument site, a short acoustic signal sounds from the direction of the bench (the beginning of a melody; the first sounds of El Himno de Riego - the one-time national anthem of the Spanish Republic). Out of curiosity, the passer-by then comes closer to the bench. Once standing near the bench, another acoustic signal is deployed: an audio compilation. The passer-by takes a seat and begins to listen: Next, information about the monument and its dedication are provided (similar to an audio-guide in a museum). The history of the Civil War and of the International Brigades is told, referencing select images from the relief, which are easily visible directly across from the bench. Slowly but surely - at first undetectable, then ever more clearly - more voices enter the audio compilation (metaphorically speaking: more and more people begin to take a seat at the bench and to provide an account): A woman’s voice tells about the role women played as medics and political ring-leaders, but also as soldiers in the ranks of the brigades. Another voice speaks about motivations for going to Spain. Communists have their say, as do socialists, anarchists, Christians, and artists. The audio compilation, which had originally begun as a monologue, is intensified little by little by a collective experience that is deep and diverse in perspective, that enthralls visitors, and that instills the curiosity to look at the monument more closely on one’s own and to engage independently with the material more intensively.