Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

This is an essential stop for any visit to Berlin. It’s been criticized for focusing on just one of the groups targeted by the Nazis, but the German government has now erected memorials to other victims. It’s also criticized because there’s nothing Jewish about it. Some were struck that there’s no central gathering point…no place for a ceremony. Like death, you enter it alone. There is no intended meaning. Is it a labyrinth…a symbolic cemetery…and intentionally disorienting? It’s entirely up to the visitor to derive the meaning, while pondering this horrible chapter in human history. What was your reaction to this memorial?

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

Comments

4 Replies to “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe”

  1. Hey Rick! Just wondering if you were spending a week in each Prague and Berlin, or if you had a week to do both? I have an upcoming trip to both those cities, and need a bit of help as to how much time should be spent in each…

    Thanks!

  2. It is appropriate to bring attention to history. Because this is recent doesn’t make it any less of a lesson that studying the effects of wars long past. I applaud the depth that such pieces bring. Thank you.

  3. When I visited this site three years ago, it was very troubling, in the sense that it reflects what humans can do to other humans in the name of an ideology or a nationalistic narrative. That it is in Berlin and a memorial to Jewish victims reflects the ability of one group to honestly examine their history, which is the healing benefit of such a memorial.

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