Wall Memorials and Heritage

Recent cultural and spatial turns in the Humanities and Social Sciences have led to a rising interest in heritage studies. The literature has however so far failed to include a systematic overview of the theoretical perspectives on "heritage," the commodification of heritage, or the globalizing heritage industry.This book offers a comprehensive overview of the interdisciplinary international heritage debate and analyzes the transformation of Berlin's former Allied border control point, "Checkpoint Charlie," into a global heritage industry site. This crucial case study demonstrates that an unregulated global heritage industry has risen in Berlin which capitalizes on the internationally very attractive - but locally and nationally still very painful heritage of the Berlin Wall. Productively integrating theory with empirical evidence, this innovative book will enrich the international literature on heritage and on its economic and political contexts.