The World is Bankrupt and Germany Builds a New Castle

While the entire world is indulging in a prolonged fit of saving, Germany splashes the cash. Parliament has passed a bill that will see the (re)building of the Berlin Castle become a reality. Why they would want to do so is anyone’s guess. 

German parliament has reached a decision most extraordinary. They decided to have a castle built in Berlin. I don’t know if my recollection is correct, but the last time I remember anyone building castles was in the 19th century, when King Louis II of Bavaria bankrupted his country over the likes of Castle Neuschwanstein. Now Germany is going the same way under Queen Angela Merkel, it seems.

Parliament spoke the trifling sum of 478 million Euros (652 million US Dollars, 411 million Pound Sterling) to build the castle, with the City of Berlin adding a further 32 million. As the total of the building costs is estimated at 590 million Euros, the state will rely on private donations of at least 80 million. Currently, only 15 million in donations have come in, though. And who would donate for something like that, one wonders?

The Berlin Castle used to be a real castle overlooking the important trade route along the Spree River. The castle was completely leveled in the 16th century to make way for a representative castle in the Renaissance style to show the risen importance of the Prince Elector of Brandenburg having recently inherited the Duchy of Prussia. When the Electors elevated themselves to the rank of Kings of Prussia, the castle was extensively remodeled to suit the newfound rank of its owners. The remodeling bankrupted Prussia for decades and was never finished. It later served as an Imperial residence.

After the Great War, the newly formed Republic of Germany converted the Castle to a museum and as an office block for state institutions. The building was extensively damaged during World War II and came to lie in the Soviet Sector of the occupied capital. It was then owned and used by the government of East Germany until 1950.

The government of East Berlin was of the opinion that history could be erased by destroying buildings. The Berlin Castle was therefore leveled on demand from the East German government together with the nearby Palais Monbijou. In its place, they built the Palace of the Republic, possibly one of the ugliest buildings ever conceived by mankind. In turn, the government of reunified Germany had that leveled between 2006 and 2008.

In a further attempt to rewrite history, there how shall be a decoy castle on the spot of the old one. Currently, the grounds it will be standing on are occupied by the Humboldt Box. This futuristic building is run by the Berliner Schloss charity and is aimed at collecting money for the replica castle to rise in its stead. The charity also hosts a homepage with the exact plans for the folly. Eat your heart out, Disneyland; you’ll never be able to spend such amounts on your kitsch, it takes a government to produce kitsch in really grand style. 

Further reading
Cologne Cathedral: Shrine of The Magi
Queen Edith of The Eastern Franks
Assassinate Hitler: Maurice Bavaud