The archaeology of a contemporary "Leichenhalle" in Berlin, Germany

An archaeological/historical analysis of the 19th century Leichenhalle in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin was undertaken in order to interpret the physical changes that the succeeding governments of Germany made to the building from 1886 to present day. The original construction was created to deal with poor living conditions during the industrial revolution. Following this, the Nazi party converted public sections of the building to serve as a memorial, incorporating expensive materials into the flooring creating the swastika symbol of the state across the floor while the cellar was modified to make an air-raid shelter. At the end of World War II, Berlin was divided amongst the Allied forces. Prenzlauer Berg became part of the Soviet Sector and attempted to remove all evidence of the former Nazi government. This included the removal of the Nazi memorial, yet the flooring of the monument room was spared. The building was then converted into a security guard house for the Stasi, which continued the Soviet precedent of using the entire building as a functional structure off limits to the public. Economic GDR architecture was added to the Leichenhalle, contrasting with the relatively expensive multicolored and designed brickwork of the original fa ade, only to be torn down during the reunification. This building reflects the various uses that a building can serve under radically differing governments during a short period and the problems that can come about historically when the government′s attempt to physically erase their predecessors or keep their actions in the building secret.