Angel of History
History, according to Webster's Dictionary, can be defined as, "A chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events." We must remember, however, that even though history is in the past, it is not inert. It is not dead. The past does, and continues to, have an effect on the present. Through the different articles we read, Slouka's Hitler's Couch, Millhauser's The Barnum Museum, and James E. Young's At Memory's Edge: After Images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Art and Architecture, one can see the relationship that the past has with our present day life and visa versa. Slouka's Hitler's Couch, tells of Hitler's final days. With the American and Russian armies moving swiftly towards Berlin, the fate of the Third Reich was in serious jeopardy. As Russian artillery shells fell upon Berlin, Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Minister, would read to Hitler the History of Frederick the Great. Within this reading Hitler found hope for Germany, "Sensing a promise, an omen of redemption in Carlye's description of Frederick's deliverance...just as Prussia had b
History is by far one of the most important aspects of human existence. Not only does it give us precedent to how to exist, but it shows that history is not dead and it does affect our lives today. Through things such as museums, and monuments we remember history and thus, bring it to life, where it rightly should be. The "Angel of History" is all around us, one just needs to find it. The coolest museum, in my opinion ever "created", is the Barnum Museum. It seems to be a metaphor in itself of what history actually is and how it "works". The Barnum Museum is constantly changing, parts of it are fun, some scary, and some tragic. History is exactly the same; some parts of history are fun and exciting, such as inventions and other first time events. Some parts are tragic, such as deaths of famous peoples or wars. But most of all, our understanding of history is constantly changing and leading us down new paths just as the Barnum Museum changes and leads vistors down new paths. The Barnum Museum also has three subterranean levels that could represent different times in history. So as one descends down into deeper levels they travel, in a way, bac
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 779
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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