Posts

The topic of immigration has increasingly become a hot-button topic in American culture, and to a lesser extent among Germans.   In Berlin, there are a relatively high number of immigrants. In 2013, there were 1,000,000 people, 30% of the population of immigrant background (Yonis). These immigrants come from a variety of different countries from all over the world. Data from 2012 shows that registered foreign residents are most often Turkish (101,061). Other nationalities following in decreasing order: Polish, Italian, Serbian, Russian, Bulgarian, French, American, Vietnamese, British, Spanish, Geek, Bosnian/Herzegovinian, Austrian, Croatian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Lebanese, Chinese, Thai, Macedonian, Dutch, Iranian, Swedish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Israeli, Brazilian, South Korean, Latvian, Japanese, Danish, Kolovos, Indian, and Syrian (Foreign residents of Berlin). These different ethnic groups are dispersed in communities across the city. There are more than 25 different non-indigenous communities with population greater than 10,000 people.

 

In contrast, as of 2014 Ohio have only 4.2% foreign born residents. The foreign born population on Ohio breaks down to 12.1% African, 43.4% Asian (~16% Middle Eastern), 21.6% European, 19.5% Latin American, 3% North American, and 0.5% Oceania (State Immigration Data Profiles: Ohio). The data for the nationality of Ohio immigrants is not available. In Columbus, specifically there is quite a substantial Somali refugee population. Following the outbreak of the Somali civil war in the 1990s, many Somalis fled. Columbus has the second highest concentration of Somali refugee population, following the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

I find I interesting that the US puts so much emphasis on the ‘immigration problem’. It is viewed as an issue that has a terrible affect on the ‘true’ Americans. This logic sparks questions about, “What is a ‘true’ American?” and, “If we can deny immigrants, when we are a nation of immigrants?” These types of questions are even more compelling considering the US does not take in a disproportional amount of immigrants currently. It follows generally close to the average. Yet still, the debate on immigration in America continues to boil over again and again. A similar debate has erupted in Germany, whose major proponent is the AfD (Alternative for Germany). This up and coming party in Germany focus their agenda towards pro-nationalistic, anti-immigration, anti-Islam, alt-right wing view. They have recently adopted the slogan “Islam is not a part of Germany”, despite the large number of Muslims living in the country. Behind Christianity, Islam is the second most practiced religion in Germany (Bevölkerung im regionalen Vergleich nach Religion (ausführlich) -in %-).   Is view is not unknown in America. Very similar policies have also been used by factions of the Republican Party. With the election of Donald Trump in November 2016, the political climate in America seems to be unraveling as citizens and politicians from both sides of the bench wait to see what the president elect has in store for us. Will the new president stick to party views and lean towards anti-immigration or will he surprise us, as he likes to do, and fall more moderate. Only time will tell.

 

Literature Cited

“Bevölkerung im regionalen Vergleich nach Religion (ausführlich) -in %-“. destatis.de (Zensusdatenbank des Zensus 2011) (in German). Federal Statistical Office of Germany. 9 May 2011. p. Zensus 2011 – Page 6. Retrieved 9 May 2011.

“Foreign residents of Berlin” (PDF). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). Retrieved 22 April2013.

“State Immigration Data Profiles: Ohio” Migration Policy Institute.

Yonis  Ayeh. “ISD Online • Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland”. Isdonline.de. Retrieved 15 September 2011.

When I think about physical borders in my hometown, Chillicothe, and compare it to Berlin, I immediately think about the flood wall that runs along the Scioto River in Chillicothe and the Berlin Wall that divides the Berlin. Both walls were built to divide something. The Berlin Wall was built to divide a city; to divide culture and government. The Flood Wall was built to divide a river from a city; for protection. In 1913 and 1959, there were great floods that destroyed major portions of the town.[1][2] After this the flood wall started to be built as a protection from future floods. Today the wall stretches all along the river,which runs north to south weaving through town. There are also gates that were created to block off the roadways that intersect the wall.

The government of the GDR said that the Berlin Wall was built for protection. It just like the wall in Chillicothe had several crossing point that could be blocked off. They claimed to be creating a defense against fascism and capitalism. The fascism may have been a stretch, but they weren’t completely wrong about the protection from capitalist culture. The wall was necessary for their system to work. If the people of the GDR could see the benefits to living in the west they may have emigrated to pursue a different life. The wall had double duty; protection for western influence and containing the citizens.

The flood wall in Chillicothe has virtually no social impact compared to the Berlin Wall; however the flood that the wall was built in response to did. Today, it is very evident in Chillicothe that the east side of town, the side most affected by the flood in 1913, still has residual social effects. This side of town is a mostly impoverished area, with very low real estate value to this day. Perhaps there are other factors that have lead to this concentration of low-income housing, but it is not a coincidence that the flood affected this area most.

A similar divide can be seen in Berlin in the 1990s. After the wall came down in 1989 the population of some areas in East Berlin, essentially fled to the west, leaving entire areas vacant. There was no property value. Slowly artists and young people moved into these areas and the process of gentrification began. Many parts of the former East have ‘bounced back’ from this era, but there are still areas that remain relatively low-income areas. For example look at this map of real estate prices, much of the east is still cheaper than the west. [3]

It is very difficult to compare the boundaries in two cities that are so different. They are entire different worlds. Having lived in and visited both cities, I have first hand evidence of this. Despite their immense differences, one can still draw comparisons. Social class divide will always be a visible difference in any city you visit. It is impossible for there not to be some social stratification. Chillicothe and Berlin are no exception.

 

Sources:

[1] http://www.chillicotheinfo.net/1913-flood.html http://www.chillicotheinfo.net/1959-flood.html

[2] http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/swio/pages/content/1913_flood.htm

[3] http://andberlin.com/2014/02/21/berlin-maps-rents-crime-transport-and-planning/

On the surface, Berlin, Germany and Chillicothe, Ohio are two very different places. One is a small city in southern Ohio. The other is a thriving metropolis, a capital, it central Europe. The history, language, culture, architecture, politics, entertainment, etc. are polar opposites. They are two different worlds. Despite their polarizing differences, Berlin and Chillicothe do a have one thing in common. They have both been centers of culture, in their histories.

Berlin was the center of the Prussian, and broader Germanic Empire. It served as the home for kings, contains castles, and monuments to the brilliance of kings. Some of the most iconic historical structures in Berlin are Schloss Sanssouci, the magnificent castle of Friedrich the Great, Schloss Charlottenburg, and the Brandenburg Tor.

Chillicothe does not have any great castles or great buildings; however it does have great monuments. From about 200 BC to AD 500, the Hopewell Tradition of Native American peoples occupied the region. The Hopewell are known for their extensive mound building tradition, as well as their large exchange network. At its greatest extent, the exchange stretched from the southeastern United States to Lake Ontario in Canada, and as far west as Wyoming and Colorado. The center of this large cultural network was centered along the Scioto River Valley, particularly in Chillicothe, Ohio. Their settlements are characterized by large burial mounds that form complex geometric patterns. These mounds are said to be highly organized, as there are particular angles and shapes that are repeated across the Midwest. Some mounds were as large as seventy feet high. The mounds not only contained burials but also many ceremonial objects, jewelry, weapons, and other rare objects. Many of these objects came were traced from regions all over the US, which is how archaeologists were able to definitively know the exchange networks. The mounds in Chillicothe are thought to be a religious Mecca for the Hopewell peoples. There is no evidence that any of the Hopewell peoples lived in the Chillicothe area, therefore it is thought to be a location of pilgrimage that most likely held some spiritual significance.

Berlin does not have any burial mounds like the ones in Chillicothe. It does, however, have a different kind of mound. Teufelsberg, German for Devil’s Mountain, is a main made hill in Berlin that was formed from the rubble of WWII. On top of the hill, is an abandoned US military listening station that is now covered in graffiti, which is very characteristic of Berlin.It is hard to make a true comparison of Berlin and Chillicothe.

The main challenges are the stark contrast between the two cities. Berlin is a place with intense history that has lived through three major wars within the last century. Some of which, nearly leveled the city entirely. Chillicothe hasn’t seen war since the mid 1800’s and saw little combat in its entire history. Berlin has a rich history that people around the world are aware of. Chillicothe, although it has a significant history, it is not well known and represents a population that is not longer present.