Berlin's Holocaust Memorial

Earlier this week, I visited the new Holocaust Memorial in Berlin (dedicated in 2005). It consists of about 2,700 stone slabs in a large field located near the Brandenburg Gate (a very central location), and was designed by the American designer Peter Eisenman. It is called the "Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe." 

This is a view from the edge. The nearer slabs are shorter, and the ones in the middle are taller. Initially, I got the feeling I was looking at a grave yard with a number of tombstones. There are no signs or plaques on the slabs. They "speak" for themselves.

But as I walked into the Memorial, the paths descend and the slabs grow taller, and I began to get a "walled in" feeling.

As I continued to walk in, I was no longer able to see the whole Memorial, only just the slabs immediately near me. This happens fairly quickly.

At the middle, the slabs rise up to about 10 feet or so, and I definitely got a "closed in" feeling. The orderly grid in which the slabs are laid out made me think of the highly organized Nazi killing machine that carried out these murders.

As I walked out, the slabs got shorter and the paths rose up, and it was possible to see the whole panorama once again. But I had an instant recollection that I had just been in a dark, penned up place.

Public reaction for the Monument has been generally favorable. The main criticism has been that it is only dedicated to the Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, and not to the communists, Gypsies, homosexuals, and others who also died in the camps.

Comments

[CK]

What a tremendous pictorial and journey you just took me on--thank you for sharing this Roger. I remember how speechless I was attending the Holocaust Memorial/Museum during opening weeks in D.C.; I can't imagine how moving this must have been. Again, thank you.

[commenter]

i think it is/was inappropriate to put in the middle of Berlin. Why does a city and people have to live with a massive bleak depressing propaganda piece in the middle of their city Why not one to the millions who died under the communist? or the millions of German women raped by the Russian army , on orders from the high command?
It seems to me that the holocaust has become part cult part money making industry but mainly a tool for shielding Israel of criticism. Can we expect a memorial to the 750,000 Palestinians cleansed in 48 in the middle of TEl Aviv anytime soon?

[Cam Beck]

Roger - This is an stunning memorial in its ability to look at something so tragic and horrible without being exploitative.

I lived in West Berlin/Berlin between '89 and '92... They used to also have a memorial for the people shot while trying to flee East Berlin during the Cold War. Is that still there?

BTW - I bought two courses from The Learning Company and am thoroughly enjoying them. Thank you for bringing them to my attention!

[Cam Beck]

Oh... The memorial I'm talking about was also by the Reichtag and Brandenburg Gate.