Kronprinzenpalais in Berlijn 1868 - 1870

Here is the audio guide script: This is Johann Friedrich Stiehm's photograph of the Kronprinzenpalais in Berlin. Constructed in the late classical style, the palace’s most striking feature is its use of columns. Columns, from antiquity to the Renaissance and beyond, have symbolized strength, stability, and the perpetuation of cultural values. Think of the Greek temples, where columns upheld not just the roof, but an entire cosmos of belief. In the Kronprinzenpalais, these columns evoke a lineage stretching back to the ancient world. Yet, these symbols are never static. What was once a sacred motif becomes a marker of secular authority. The palace becomes a stage where these motifs are revived and adapted to the specific psychological needs and cultural aspirations of a new era. The emotional power of these symbols lies in their capacity to connect us to a deeper, collective past, stirring subconscious memories and desires. Consider how such symbols recur throughout history, transformed yet still resonant, each time echoing an older form while adapting to a new cultural landscape. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, revealing the cyclical progression of cultural memory.