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 theinternational literature on heritage and on its economic and political contexts.
