Historic Approaches to Sonic Encounter at the Berlin Wall Memorial

Abstract

Investigations of historic soundscapes must analyze and place results within a complex framework of contemporary and past contexts. However, the conscious use and presentation of historic built environments are factors that require more deliberate attention in historic soundscape analysis. The following paper presents a multimodal research methodology and promising preliminary results from a study at the Berlin Wall Memorial in Berlin, Germany. Here, the historic context from the Wall's recent past is presented within the surroundings of the contemporary unified capital city. The study approached the past soundscape and present site by combining historic and current-conditions research, linking archival research, conditions assessments via binaural recording and psychoacoustics analysis tools, and soundscape surveys rooted in standardized soundscape research practices. In so doing, archival textual and pictorial sources provided a rich source of primary information integrated within the study and are suggested as a resource for similar inquiries elsewhere. The investigation identified concerns specific to heritage sites that require critical consideration for historic soundscape research of the recent past-survey-participant composition and the problematized use of typical descriptors in soundscape surveys are the two concerns that are discussed. Some standardized soundscape terminology and research methodologies were found to be insufficient in historic contexts. Initial qualitative results from the research are presented as a proof of concept for the research approach with signposts for future analysis and developments.

Hitting the ‘pause’ button: What does COVID-19 tell us about the future of heritage sounds?

“…There are speci c sounds, soundmarks and soundscapes that contribute to the cultural heritage of many localities and communities [147]. Such heritage soundscapes may also include internal acoustic environments of historical buildings [148], open-air sites of archaeological interest [149], and sounds associated with the fabric of historic memorials and locations [150]. From a heritage management perspective the diminishment or loss of these needs to be managed [35].…”

“…Cultural heritage management is based on an understanding of individual and community values [156,157], whereby knowledge of context is an important factor [153]. This holds true for the understanding of heritage soundscapes as well [158]. Cultural heritage management, as a discipline, requires hindsight to be able to adequately assess the signi cance of the presence or loss of practices and places [159,160].…”

The “sound of silence” in Granada during the COVID-19 lockdown

“…It has been argued that the aesthetic appreciation of a touristic destination can be affected by its environmental qualities, like the scenery and the soundscape and these contribute to the overall tourist experience [8]. In general, soundscapes are gaining increasing attention in cultural heritage studies [9][10][11]; this trend is supported also by the framework provided by the UNESCO Convention on the Intangible Cultural Heritage [12] and one of its subsequent declarations [13,14]. The soundscape approach plays also an important role in the tourism management of natural areas [15][16][17][18][19].…”

Historical Acoustics: Relationships between People and Sound over Time

“…Finally, Jordan [11] brought forward the topic of soundscapes as cultural intangible heritage. The author applied both qualitative and quantitative methods to a case study at the Berlin Wall Memorial in Germany, investigating both the past and present soundscape of the site (as understood and perceived), with the support of binaural recordings, psychoacoustic analysis, and soundscape surveys based on standardized soundscape protocols.…”