There's usually a lot of weird stuff on Alexanderplatz: Gypsies, tourists, street performers, vendors, but as I was riding the tram yesterday I caught sight of something truly bizarre: big stacks of firewood. All over the place. Far too intrigued to pass by without investigating, I hopped off the tram at the next stop and walked back to see what was going on. In the center of the square was a fenced off area full of about 15 women with axes and chainsaws, some cutting up bigger logs for firewood, others splitting wood, others stacking the wood into big piles in the center. Next to the main area was another fenced off area with a big wooden target. In this area other women were hucking huge double-bladed axes at the target, one after the other, recording their scores on the side.
The meaning of this display escaped me completely. Awesome as chainsaws and axe-throwers may be, I didn't see a purpose behind it. Fortunately, there were little placards strung up along the fences with information about the event.
Begun in Sweden in 2007, Frauen Hacken Holz is a sort of performance-art piece/demonstration highlighting female power, a bridging of cultural boundaries through shared labor, and an effort to make country life more visible in the city. A bunch of Swedish women, all 50+ years old, travel around to different cities in Europe every couple of months, team up with women in those cities, and spend a few days chopping wood. The act is supposed to release positive energy into the environment and educate the public about feminism.
It's a strange concept, but I like the rationale behind it. You can read a poorly Google-translated Berliner Zeitung article about the event here. Following are a few photos (you can click on them for a bigger size):
Axe in mid-flight.
Another action shot. They hit it dead center every time.
Part of the main display. They were chopping away for three days straight, 8-10 hours a day.
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