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Article: Stones of contention; An East German legacy.(Pulling down East Germany's people's palace)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- January 28, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The row over what to build in place of East Germany's old parliament
IT IS easy to see why Germany's parliament has decided to tear down the Palast der Republik, a communist-era landmark in Berlin. Historically and aesthetically, the building, once home to East Germany's parliament, has all the charm of a second-world-war bunker. It is also unsurprising that an alliance of ex-communists and progressive artists hoped to keep it. With only a skeleton of steel beams left inside after asbestos had been stripped out, it has become a cool venue for parties and exhibitions.
But why have more than four years passed since a commission first recommended ...