"Inventory of Power": A visual and Literary Journey into the Berlin Wall
Revealing the forgotten images and stories behind Berlin’s first Wall
April 24th, 2025
The Instituto Cervantes in Berlin will host an expert roundtable on April 29 as part of its cultural series Berliner Dialoge – Die Welt heute. Titled “Spanish Women in Exile, Deportation and Concentration Camps: Remembering the Past, Facing Europe’s Future”, the event highlights the historical experiences of Spanish women who were exiled, deported, or imprisoned during the 20th century. Organized by Spain’s official cultural institution, it emphasizes the importance of preserving historical memory through public dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The discussion will address key topics such as the deportation of Spanish women to Nazi camps and Soviet gulags, their survival strategies and forms of resistance, the legacy of state violence and medical experimentation, and the contribution of memorials to Europe’s culture of remembrance. It also explores the role of testimony and remembrance in strengthening contemporary democratic societies.
Among the key participants are Dr. Andrea Genest, Director of the Ravensbrück Memorial and Deputy Director of the Brandenburg Memorial Foundation, and Dr. Insa Eschebach, former Director of the Ravensbrück Memorial and visiting professor at the Free University of Berlin. Both will offer historical insights into the gendered experiences of women under National Socialism and the evolution of memorial practices.
Also contributing are Dr. Luiza Iordache Cârstea, political scientist and specialist in Spanish exile and the concentration camp system; Dr. Amalia Rosado Orquín, journalist and historian of Spanish female deportation and author of Españolas en los campos nazis (2024); and Dr. Piedad Solans, renowned curator and scholar on violence and feminist memory. Visual artist Pilar Millán will also present her video installation Das Sediment (2025), created as part of the cultural dialogue promoted by the Instituto Cervantes.
The roundtable emphasizes the value of interdisciplinary dialogue and memory work in fostering a critical and inclusive European identity. It serves as a space for reflection on the democratic responsibilities of institutions in confronting historical injustices. The discussion reinforces the need for public remembrance of exile, deportation, and resistance, especially from a gender perspective, and highlights the essential role of cultural diplomacy in promoting historical awareness.
The event will be held with simultaneous Spanish-German interpretation and livestreamed via the Instituto Cervantes Berlin YouTube channel. Further information is available at https://berlin.cervantes.es
References:
- https://www.bundestag.de/besuche/ausstellungen/kunst_ausst/inventarisierung-macht-1023654 https://www.bundestag.de/besuche/ausstellungen/kunst_ausst/inventarisierung-macht-1023654
