DifferencesinPhysicalMemorialization:

HonorableCommemorationvs.BurdenedRemembrance

BySarahCarter

Theexistenceofsubstanceinasocietydemandstheexistenceofmemory.Culturalidentity,whichisformedby
eventsthatoccurfurther,memoriesthatarecollectedacrossalineartimeline,canonlysurvivebythatwhichis
rememberedforsakeofbuildingsuchanidentity,orperhapssimplyforthesakeofnotforgetting,whetheroutof
respectorthedesiretocelebrateit.Withthecreationofthesememoriescomestheinherentroleofsocietytohonor
themortoatoneforthem.Thetendencytoerectphysicalmemorializationsassertsthepermanenceofchosen
memories,aswellasprovidesaninvitationorexplicitinstructiontobepresentandinteractinoneofthosetwoways.
BoththeObelisksofQueenHatshepsutc.1473BCEandtheHarburgMonumentAgainstFascism,1986display
incredibleamountsofplanningandmasterpiece,eachservingoneofthesetwopurposes.Theinaugurationof
HatshepsutsObelisksinKarnak,

Thebesisanexampleofthememorializationofhonoranddistinction,andthe
HarburgMonumentAgainstFascism,1986

addressestheneedforatonementforandappropriationofthepast.The
differingculturalpurposesofthesemonumentsmeansthateachmustgoaboutachievingitsintendedreactionwith
verydifferentapproaches;thefirstthroughreverentrecollection,thelatterthroughburdenedreflection.Though
thesemonumentsbothmarksignificantplacesinhistoryandbearparamountsocietalimplications,theyrepresent
verydifferentkindsofmemorialization.
AlthoughHatshepsutsObeliskandtheHarburgMonumentAgainstFascismsoughttoachievediffering
reactions,bothmarkanimportanttimeinhistoryandsignifyplacesofcommunity.Thelargestofstillstanding
ancientEgyptianobelisksisHatshepsutsObelisklocatedintheKarnakTempleComplexinLuxor,Egypt.Thetemple
complexwasmostlikelycommonlyparadedandwasahighlyrespectedareaoftheculture;itwasaplacewhich
hosteditscommunity,albeitperhapsonlyonoccasion.Theseparticularobelisks(thefourerectedbyHatshepsutin
14731458BC)weretoweringstructuresmadeofforeignpinkgraniteandornamentedwithinscriptionsandgold.
Theywereplacedinsuchawaythatwasmeanttoadornthetemplegrounds,furtherrelayingtheirmagnificence.
Hatshepsutsobelisksmarkedaparticularlyfascinatingmomentinhistory:thefirstfemaleking.Similarly,the
Harburgmonumentwaserectedinaplaceofculturalfrequency,alwaysbusywithpasserby,atthejunctionoftwo
highstreets.ItmarkedapoignanttimeinGermanyshistory,fortyyearsaftertheendoftheSecondWorldWar,
beginningamovementinformallyknownastheCounterMonumentMovement.BoththeobeliskandtheHarburg
Monumentincludeinscriptionswhichdetailtheirpurposetoitsowncommunity.
Theinscriptionsontheancientobeliskrevolvearoundthreethemes,allofwhicharecenteredaroundthe
validationofHatshepsutastheKing,underdivineright,followingherfatherTuthmosisI.Firstly,theinscriptions
describeherexplicitdevotiontohergodlyfatherAmunandherearthlyfatherTuthmosisIofthelatethrone.In
relayingherdevotion,alreadyHatshepsutbeginstovalidateherself,expressingthatsheactedforhimwitha
straightforwardheart,asakingdoesforanygod.1 Secondly,theinscriptionstellofthemagnificenceoftheobelisk,
singularmonolithsofgranite,adornedingold.Perhapsthiswastoserveasareminderofthewealth,both
economicallyaswellasawealthinknowledgeandexcellenceinengineeringfeats.Finally,Hatshepsutdocumentsher
divinerighttobekingasobligationtohergod,arightgiventoherassheisthesonofAmunandthedaughterof
earthlygreatnessinpower.2 Thefragmentofherfallenobelisk,whichresidesintheMuseumofFineArts,Boston,
depictsHatshepsutwithmalefeatures,specificallywithamaletorsoandwearingafalsebeard.Sheisalsoseen
wearingtheroyalkilt.Thesignificanceofthisparticularimageistremendous.Itisevidencethatsheisfamiliarizing
herselfwithpastkingsaswellaswiththepublicsothattheymightseeherasatrueruler,ledbydivineright,

"Mysteries of the Nile." PBS. PBS, Nov. 2000.

"Obelisk Inscriptions from Queen Hatshepsut."
II. Inscriptions from Royal Monuments. University of
Southern California.
1
2

poweredbyhermasculineinsight.3 Theseinscriptionsnotonlylayoutthespecificpurposeofherobelisksculturally,
butindeedindirectlyjustifyandauthenticateherpositionasking.
TheroleoftheimagedepictedonthefragmentofHatshepsutsfallenobeliskissimilartotheroleofthe
HarburgMonumentAgainstFascismitselfatthetimeofitsfullrealizationinNovemberof1993.Asstatedabove,the
ancientdepictionofHatshepsutontheobeliskwasmeanttorelatethefemalePharaohtoherpeople.Theimageis
suchthatshe,asafemale,mayalsotorelatetothemale,equatingherselfwithbothgendersandthereforeforging
anallencompassingconnectiontoherpublic.Withthatinmind,considerthis:thesoftleadcoatingofthealuminum
columnfromwhichtheHarburgMonumentwascreated,alongwiththesteelstylusesfashionedbytheartists,Jochen
GerzandEstherShalevGerz,invitedeverypasserbytoliterallymakehisorhermarkonthemonument,sothatbythe
timeitssmoothcoatingwasreplacedwithscratchedsignatures,ittoowouldhavemadethatconnectionandwould
beartheimage,therepresentationofeveryidentityinthecohesivewhole.Itisinthisway,inthisrelationbetween
thetwomemorializations,thatonemayfindthemoststrikingsimilaritybetweensuchopposingmannersof
concretizingmemory.
Thereasontheyaresoopposingstemsfromtheconceptofcountermonuments.Intheearly1980s,after
yearsofdeliberation,theMunicipalCouncilofHamburgHarburgdecidedaffirmativelyontheerectionoftheHarburg
MonumentAgainstFascismandsubsequentlycommissionedartistsJochenGerzandEstherShalevGerz.Inthe
statementofcommission,thecouncilexplainedthattheywantedamonumentkeyedtothepresent.4 Tothe
Gerzes,thiswasaninvitationtostrayfromthetraditionalformwhichmonumentstake.Theybelievedthatthe
traditionalformofmemorialization,namelyobelisksandstatues,displacedmemoryandthereforeconceptualizeda
countermonument,whichwouldmaketheexperienceofmemoryamorepresentone.5 Theartistsherebringupan
incrediblyfascinatingnotion:traditionalmemorializationfailstoelicitmemoryrecallinapresentsense.Astandard
monumentnormalizesmemoryascollectivememoryandbyabsorbingtheneedtoprocessandappropriateforones
own,itremovesthetaskoftheviewertoconjureindividualmemory.Inrealizingthis,theartistssoughttocounteract
theineffectivenessoftraditionalmemorialsbyreflectingtheburdenofmemorybackontotheviewer.
Tobetterunderstandthemeansbywhichtheartistsachievedthis,wecanrefertotheinscriptionof
monument.Itreadsasfollows:
WeinvitethecitizensofHarburg,andvisitorstothetown,toaddtheir
namesherenexttoours.Indoingsowecommitourselvestoremainvigilant.Asmoreandmore
namescoverthis12metretallleadcolumn,itwillgraduallybeloweredintotheground.Onedayit
willhavedisappearedcompletely,andthesiteoftheHarburgMonumentagainstFascismwillbe
empty.Intheenditisonlyweourselveswhocanstandupagainstinjustice.6

Itisevidentherethatitwastheintentionofthemonumenttointeractwithitsaudience.Thecalltoactiontosign
uponitsfacadeimmediatelyforcesitsviewertoalignhimselfwiththevaluesandgoalsofthemonument.Hemust
consideritshistoryanditspurpose,andifhesochooses,heentersintoacommitment,fueledbytheprovocationof
memory,toremainvigilant.Inthisway,thismonumentactsasamirror,reflectingitspurposebackontoits
spectators,whereastraditionalmonuments,inthisexampleHatshepsutsobelisk,canactonlyaswindowsthrough
whichonemayviewconsolidatedmemories.
TheobeliskisagorgeousrepresentationofthepowerandsuccessofHatshepsutsruleasPharaoh.Itbears
nolesssignificancethanthemoreactivelyelicitingnatureofcountermonuments.Noonerepresentationofmemory
trumpstheother.Rather,itisadifferenceinpurpose,focus,andpoignancywhichisemployedwithspecificintentto
reachanaudienceindifferentways.Hatshepsutsobelisk,aswellasanyothermoretraditionalmonument,tapsa
3

ibid.
NoamLupu.MemoryVanished,Absent,Confined.TheCountermemorialProjectin1980sand1990s
Germany.134.
5
Ibid.135.
6
JochenGerz.Officialsiteoftheartist.
4

morereverent,lessinteractivecommemorationoutofrespectandhonor,whereasaneffectivecountermonument
liketheHarburgMonumentAgainstFascismcallsforburdenedremembranceandanactiveparticipationinthe
manifestationofhistory.Bothpreservememory.Bothserveasavenuesofmaintainingthepastandensuringthe
futureofaculture,keepingsafethestoryitstandstoproclaim.

WorksCited

Gray,Martin."ObeliskofQueenHatshepsut,Karnak."PlacesofPeaceandPower.
N.p.,19822016.Web.

II.InscriptionsfromRoyalMonuments(n.d.):n.pag.UniversityofSouthernCalifornia.
Web.

"JochenGerzOfficialWebsiteoftheArtist."JochenGerzOfficialWebsiteofthe
Artist.N.p.,n.d.Web.10Feb.2016.

Leung,Michelle."TheRoleoftheCounterMonumentMovement."WritingSamples
andWorksbyMichelleLeung.N.p.,31July2011.Web.10Feb.2016.

Lupu,Noam."MemoryVanished,Absent,andConfined:TheCountermemorialProject
in1980sand1990sGermany."History&Memory15.2(2003):13064.Web.

"MysteriesoftheNile."PBS.PBS,Nov.2000.Web.10Feb.2016.