History Repeats (Itself)

Intervention in public space, memorial plaque for Anna Amalia
Herzogin-Anna-Amalia-Bibliothek, Platz der Demokratie, Weimar, Germany
2022

When you walk through your city, you probably see some monuments and memorial plaques. Most of them are dedicated to men or men on horses. In Weimar there are monuments dedicated to Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, Herder, even a plaque honoring Goethe's male secretary - but there is no plaque dedicated to Anna Amalia. The duchess significantly contributed to Weimar being known today as the city of poets and thinkers.

On 8 March 2020, on World Women's Day, a memorial plaque dedicated to Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxony Weimar Eisenach was installed at the library named after her on the Platz der Demokratie, Weimar, Germany. At the same time, various memorials and commemorative plaques of key male figures of Weimar Classicism were covered with posters. The posters show a blurred photo of the respective plaque, which gives a hint of the original content. In contrast, the poster shows a reference to the representation of female personalities in Weimar's public space.