Zermahlene History

Hoheisel and Andreas Knitz. Zermahlene History, "Crushing History." This is a project to grind up and preserve the destroyed stones and shards of the Gestapo building in Weimar as a memorial to events that occurred there under National Socialism. The ground up building, which was a "performance piece" in the artistic sense, led to the remains of the building being preserved in large containers labeled "DENKMAL" (MEMORIAL), with mirrors on the inside lid so that visitors could see the remains, the view of the city (and its implied memory) as well as themselves. With the completion of a new underground library to house the original works of Goethe, Schiller, the Bauhau School of Design and National Socialism, all associated with the City of Weimar, Hoheisel has spread the remains of the gestapo Building over the new underground library, with windows allowing outsiders to peer down into the library holdings. The destroyed gestapo building was also "archived" in boxes, with descriptions. Some parts of the building as well as contents are now displayed on the site hanging in plastic bags.

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Photos of Building (gestapo) in Weimar Before Project Initiated: Zermahlene History.

Zermahlene History Project 1997-2002 Grinding of Gestapo Building

Grinding of Gestapo Building Weimar, Germany.

Plan for Ground-up Building

Disposal Bins for Display of Gestapo Building Remnants

Destruction of Gestapo Building

Ground of Gestapo Building After Removal

Debris From Destroyed Gestapo Building

Debris From Destroyed Gestapo Building to be Used for Exhibition Memorial

Trash Bin for Exhibition of Debris

Debris from Gestapo Headquarter in Trash Bin

Archive boxes of the debris from Weimar Gestapo Headquarters

Interim Exhibition Area for History of Site

Empty courtyard after destruction of gestapo building weimar

Bin

Bin for Destroyed Gestapo Building

Affixing Label on Bin

Label on Bin

Architectural plan showing open space over new underground library, with glass windows outlining the original floor plan of the Gestapo buildings. The debris from the Gestapo building is spread between the windows and on the rest of the surface of the site.