An Essay in English  Solidarity: Connection Through Art

By Sophie Rapuano

Please note: This essay was written by a student who is learning German. It has been published exactly as submitted, without any edits or corrections to grammar, spelling, or content.

The Berlin Wall¹, once a symbol of division, was repurposed as a means of expression. Since its construction, artists would graffiti on it. It started simple with small slogans, jokes, and art pieces; many served as a commentary of the German Democratic Republic. At a time where there was stifling oppression of free speech, artists were able to express ideas and people to see those ideas. After the reunification of Germany, the Berlin Wall continued to be utilized as a canvas for spreading sentiments. Bigger murals were installed and artists were invited to contribute to the wall. “It’s Happened in November”, made by Kani Alavi, depicts faces of people flooding the gate, highlighting the chaos and raw emotions following the collapse of the Berlin Wall. In his mural, “My God, Help Me to Survive this Deadly Love” Dmitri Vrubel draws Soviet Union President Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker in a kiss. The shocking portrayal serves as a satirical commentary between the oppressive relationship of socialism during the Soviet Union. The wall evolved in its depictions to express the atmosphere of optimism, anxiousness, and tumult in the times following the reunification of Germany. Now, the wall and its murals are preserved through the East Side Gallery exhibition. Many people visit it to connect with the history and struggles of the German people. By seeing the wall, a physical barricade used to divide groups of people, and the artworks that fill it, people are able to understand the implications of the German Democratic Republic. It allows for acknowledgement, a form of civic engagement, still resonating with people that may have never even lived under an authoritarian regime. By acting as a canvas for murals and graffiti, the Berlin wall served as a vessel for political ideas and civic protest; initially a barrier designed to separate people, became a medium that brought people together in solidarity.

Solidarity is defined as a unity or agreement in feeling and action among a community of shared interests, objectives, or standards. In his article, “On the Concept of Solidarity: The Foundation which a Structure Stands”, Dr. Leonard Emmerling explains that it’s often based on “the pursuit of universal values over particular interests.”² However, the over-emphasis on individualism in our society has made the modern world more fragmented. Furthermore, solidarity can become a symbol of righteousness for the privileged, extending help toward those perceived as weaker or more in need which may perpetuate inequality. Instead of looking at solidarity as a symbol of “charity or the virtue of compassion”, Dr. Emmerling expands on the concept of "individuation through socialization”. We are shaped by society, both in relation to and in contrast to it. It’s important to see the broader context while also valuing individuals’ unique experiences of effective solidarity. After understanding, people are prompted to collective action by bringing awareness and discussion to important topics and supporting protesting movements or various forms of advocacy. The ideas and emotions expressed with artworks can traverse boundaries and promote solidarity between these disparate groups as it is an accessible way for people to show and represent the experiences they’ve been having. The Berlin Wall murals, artists like Käthe Kollwitz’s pieces, music like Solidaritätslied, and in modern times, the Migrants of the Mediterranean, all serve as vessels for solidarity.

Käthe Kollwitz was a permanent German artist and advocate during the late 19th and early 20th century. She is a prominent figure in the Expressionist movement, establishing herself in an art world mainly dominated by men. At that time, Germany was suffering from significant political and economic turmoil following the aftermath of WW1. Many Germans were resentful of the harsh terms agreed upon by the Treaty of Versailles, and the new Weimar Republic was soon challenged by extremist political factions, like Nazism, as it was greatly unsuccessful in alleviating the problems it inherited. Kollwitz’s work was greatly shaped by her life and experiences, especially following the death of her son in WWI. Through the dramatic use of light and shadow in her painting, printmaking, and sculpting, Kollwitz used her work to speak to the themes of anti-war and worker’s rights, focusing specifically on the experiences of women and the working class.

In her woodcut print, “Die Mütter”,³ for example, she draws on the experience of mothers during times of war. The women are seen embracing each other, looking out with anguished faces, representing the sorrow of those who lost their sons, husbands, and fathers. However, the work is not just defined by hopelessness. The women also hold back their children to prevent more from being further sacrificed. Kollwitz doesn’t only document the pain of women losing loved ones, but the strength they have in protecting their own. Her lithographic print "Solidarität"⁴, another famous piece by her, implores the collectivism of the working class. Figures are shown holding hands and uniting to form a wall. Their bodies are tense and expressions somber, but their gazes are intense as they look out straight ahead of them. They work to highlight the unity of human resilience in the face of adversity. Käthe Kollwitz’s artworks stand as an effective way to foster solidarity. Her pieces gave an already marginalized group of people representation, a narrative. Rather than focusing on sprawling distorted backgrounds or intense colors like other artists in the German Expressionist movement, Kollwitz focused on minimalism, using just bold black and white lines, allowing her to create a stronger focus on the emotions of her subjects: the pain, strength, and desperation. Her work was able to be utilized to support workers movements and anti-war protests, allowing people to empathize with the experiences of those she tried to represent. This form of civic engagement is a tool of power, allowing those to have a voice in important issues that need to be addressed.

Solidaritätslied, a song written for the 1932 film Kuhle Wampe, was used to support solidarity in the working class. The movie tells the story of a family affected by the Great Depression. After being forced to move to Kuhle Wampe, a camp on the outskirts of Berlin, the daughter of the family finds solace by joining a Communist group, helping to organize a workers’ sports festival. With the film’s clear ideological implications, the song is a central theme in the movie, serving as an anthem to empower workers. In the article, “Solidarity Song: Whose World is the World?”,⁵ Martin Conrads explains that songs like the Solidaritätslied were “key elements of the tradition of the socialist labour movement”. The lyrics, “black or white or brown or yellow/leave your old disputes behind” promotes solidarity as “when only the people begin to speak/ they will soon be in agreement with each other".⁶ The song addresses issues present in the time–warmongering nations, lack of opportunity, and scarcity of resources–but the repeated use of “forward” at the start of each refrain beckons workers to overcome these challenges “for a new departure, mass mobilisation, [and] progress.” The song calls for a global unity, transcending barriers and borders, against a common adversary. Solidaritätslied’s catchy and clear message makes the movement's ideas accessible to people. It was a form of propaganda, able to be sung during worker’s meetings, rallies, and protests, to promote the movement's aims.

The broad appeal of this manipulative song highlights how solidarity can be far from a positive concept. Solidaritätslied was used to promote Communist agendas which caused repression and suffering. Solidarity can be misused in the same way now. The “true collective solidarity” becomes ever more difficult when solidarity is used to “tie social policies to nationalistic agendas… challenging the international ideals embodied by Solidaritätslied.” The term solidarity now gets warped to promote the interest of a particular group rather than a universal solidarity.

Currently the internet, a double edged sword, raises awareness about important issues while dividing us among innumerable, often conflicting, solidarities. Even though the world has become more connected, the rifts between us seem to be growing.

Mass migration is one such enormously complex and polarising global issue. The large statistics of millions of people is hard to personally relate to; it dehumanizes immigrants, erasing the fact that they, too, are people with lives, and reasons for fleeing their countries. Migrants of the Mediterranean7 is an organization that gives these immigrants and refugees a platform to share their stories. They take pictures and interview people from migrant communities, first in Lampadusia Italy and now throughout Europe and the US-Mexico border zone. On their website, anyone is able to access these logs and learn about their journey. People are able to put a personal face on the topic of immigration, instead of viewing it as anonymous millions. As a result, the organization creates a more accessible way of civic engagement. Hearing the actual needs and struggles of immigrants creates a greater understanding, allowing for more effective advocacy “from diplomacy to scholarship to tactical initiatives with NGOs”. Through the art of photography and storytelling, the individuals represent the multitude. This synecdoche works as a form of double vision.

In a world of competing solidarities, art’s accessibility works to humanize the experiences of others in the way that Migrants of the Medetarranian, Käthe Kollwitz’s work, and the Berlin wall murals do. Only through awareness can we inspire change, working toward a future defined by universal solidarity.