“Temporary Dissolve Only” – Roth defends Bible Proverbs art project
Quarrel over a Bible verse at the former city palace
The Christian inscription on the dome of the Humboldt Forum has drawn criticism from the time it opened. The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture, Claudia Roth, does not consider the Christian quotations to be cosmopolitan and wants them to be superimposed.
The quotation from the Bible on the dome of the Berlin City Palace has been the subject of debate for years. While the lettering must be visible for the Union, an art project would like to superimpose the inscription with LED technology for classification. The Minister of State for Culture rejects criticism of the project.
KMinister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) rejected criticism in the debate about a possible art project on Bible quotations on the dome of the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. The project envisages a “temporary superimposition of the reconstructed inscription with alternative, commenting and reflective texts,” she explained in Berlin on Wednesday. The technical feasibility of this is currently being examined: “The inscription will therefore be retained, it is only made visible that the Humboldt Forum critically examines its statement.”
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group had accused Roth of wanting to cover up the quotation from the Bible. The lettering on the dome must remain visible, had also demanded the cultural policy spokeswoman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Christiane Schenderlein. Roth is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Humboldt Forum.
Claudia Roth (Bündnis90/Die Grünen), Minister of State for Culture
Source: Joerg Carstensen/dpa
It was strange when parts of the CDU distanced themselves from their own former Minister of State for Culture, said Roth. As Roth’s predecessor, Monika Grütters (CDU) was also Chairwoman of the Foundation Council of the Humboldt Forum. During the term of office of the CDU politician, the project for artistic classification was presented to the foundation board in November 2021.
Bible quotes only “briefly” superimposed at night
The inscription compiled by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV from two quotes from the Bible is not an “apolitical sign of religiosity,” Roth continued. The quotes are “clearly a political message that underpins the Prussian king’s claim to power, which is derived solely from God”.
The Basic Law and democracy are not part of the traditional lineage of a repressive kingdom and empire that based its claim to power solely on God, it said. Against this background, Roth welcomed the debate about how to deal with the quotations from the Bible.
A historical scroll around the dome of the Humboldt Forum demands the submission of all people to Christianity
Source: dpa
The controversial inscription reads: “There is salvation in no other, no other name given to men but in the name of Jesus, to the glory of God the Father. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, which are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
A spokesman for the Humboldt Forum Foundation told the Evangelical Press Service (epd) that the quotations from the Bible on the dome would also be visible during the day, even if texts were to be projected onto the lettering using LED technology at night. The original lettering cannot be seen in the dark anyway. This would be “briefly” superimposed at night if the art project should come about. Like other actions already realized in the Humboldt Forum, this then serves to deal with the history of the reconstructed city palace, said foundation spokesman Michael Mathis.
“The federal government welcomes the fact that the foundation will contextualize elements of the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace through suitable formats and measures,” said the federal government in response to a request from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. An information board with a historical classification of the Bible quotations and the dome cross is to be erected on the roof terrace of the Humboldt Forum in the coming months.