For the past seventeen years photographer Christian von Steffelin has been documenting the drastic changes that have occurred in East Berlin since Germany ’s reunification. Our Collector’s Edition is part of his long-term examination of the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), whose gradual disappearance was documented by Steffelin from 1994 to 2010. What was once a building of and for the people was closed in the early nineties due to its contamination with asbestos. Despite considerable protest, the structure was later completely demolished. Von Steffelin documents the individual stages of decay of the former center of power—from the bits and pieces of leftover interiors and the skeleton of the building, to the space that remained after its demolition. The motif of our Collector’s Edition, showing a snack stand on Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse in front of the partially demolished Palast der Republik, was taken in November 2008.
