Quo Vadis Germania? What Hat Next?
"Passion of Christ." From John 13: 36: "Simon Peter said to
him (Jesus), 'Lord, where are you going (Quo Vadis?).' Jesus answered him, 'Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me
afterward."
Artist's Comment
People and their basic instincts have not changed since the beginning of time. They only have adjusted to the changing ecological, social and economical conditions of their particular surroundings. Present day humanity's behavior and actions are still motivated by the same "Seven Deadly Sins" as those of the stone-age people.
Applying the theory of probability, one must conclude, that given the same social, geopolitical and economic conditions, existing at the time of the Weimar Republic and the rest of the world, history will repeat itself. What will be the next hat? The "Atomic Pickelhaube"?
Docent Guide
"Quo Vadis"—"Whither Goest Thou" is a phrase associated with the Bible and the passion of Christ.
Hirschberger the artist and survivor of all the genocidal threats the twentieth century could offer suggests that "people and their basic instincts have not changed since the beginning of time. They only have adjusted to the changing ecological, social and economical conditions of their particular surroundings. Present day humanity's behavior and actions are still motivated by the same 'Seven Deadly Sins (pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth.)' as those of the stone-age people"
"Applying the theory of probability, one must conclude, that given the same social, geo-political and economic conditions existing at the time of the Weimar Republic and the rest of the world, history will repeat itself. What will be the next hat?"
In this painting, the artist depicts Germany as a middle class male, but also having the characteristics of a mannequin. The two horns coming out of Germania's head suggest four paths by the hats: the pagan tradition symbolized by the horns, the imperial military tradition suggested by the spiked helmet, the Nazi tradition suggested by the brown hat, or the middle-class "path to civility" suggested by the bowler hat. All of these options failed during the 20th century, so is there a choice at all?
(Quo Vadis?).' Jesus answered him, 'Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you shall follow Me afterward," has a special meaning at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st Century, when other countries have followed Germany on the path of committing genocide, while others, including democratic states, have remained indifferent.