Roundabout, 2022. Steel, rubber, paint. 130 x 110 x 300 cm
Roundabout, 2022. Steel, rubber, paint. 130 x 110 x 300 cm
Roundabout, 2022. Steel, rubber, paint. 130 x 110 x 300 cm
Roundabout consists of a street sign for the Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin, extended to include all the street’s historical names. Wilhelmstrasse is a prominent street, housing embassies and governmental buildings. Each renaming reflects a pivotal moment in history and a shift in ideological direction. Originally named Husarenstrasse (1731), it was soon renamed Wilhelmstrasse (1740) after Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I. It was changed into Otto-Grotewohl-Strasse (1964) during the German Democratic Republic period. Following reunification, the street’s name was briefly proposed as Toleranzstrasse (1991), but ultimately reverted to Wilhelmstrasse (1993).
With this work, Postma draws attention to the nostalgic revival of Prussian culture in Germany. This revival is part of an attempt to anchor the identity of the newly reunified country in a carefully selected past. At the same time, the sculpture situates contemporary debates about street names within a broader historical continuum, showing that such discussions are timeless.
Roundabout, 2022. Steel, rubber, paint. 130 x 110 x 300 cm. Photo: Eike Walkenhorst
Roundabout, 2022. Steel, rubber, paint. 130 x 110 x 300 cm
Roundabout consists of a street sign for the Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin, extended to include all the street’s historical names. Wilhelmstrasse is a prominent street, housing embassies and governmental buildings. Each renaming reflects a pivotal moment in history and a shift in ideological direction. Originally named Husarenstrasse (1731), it was soon renamed Wilhelmstrasse (1740) after Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I. It was changed into Otto-Grotewohl-Strasse (1964) during the German Democratic Republic period. Following reunification, the street’s name was briefly proposed as Toleranzstrasse (1991), but ultimately reverted to Wilhelmstrasse (1993).
With this work, Postma draws attention to the nostalgic revival of Prussian culture in Germany. This revival is part of an attempt to anchor the identity of the newly reunified country in a carefully selected past. At the same time, the sculpture situates contemporary debates about street names within a broader historical continuum, showing that such discussions are timeless.