The preservation of Nazi-associated structures in Berlin : flak towers

In few cities will one find a landscape so scarred with the physical remains of its contentious recent past as Berlin. The capital city boasts recognizable and well-known relics from not only the Third Reich, but also from its time as communist East and capitalist West Berlin. Inconspicuously sitting in two of Berlin’s largest public parks though are two hills not as easily identifiable as other historic sites. Hidden beneath the grassy hills, the massive concrete remains of 1940s flak towers have slowly made their way into the historical consciousness of Berliners. In examining the evolution of the Nazi-built towers in the consciousness of Berliners, this thesis attempts to gain a better understanding of the city’s confrontation with the toxic relics in their landscape left from the Third Reich through a less-recognizable and less-contentious structure.