Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Thursday, December 3rd

Today our class paid a visit to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. I had seen this memorial in my previous visit to Berlin in 2006, but seeing it a second time in light of all that I have learned about the debate over its creation was very interesting. Also, I had not entered the underground exhibition on my previous visit. The debate over the design and construction of this memorial lasted for a decade, and even after the construction many groups are opposed to its existence; this includes the Jewish community that has not accepted it as their memorial. While we were there, a Bundeswehr van pulled up and several military officials got off and began to tour the site. This is exactly what some feared would happen if the memorial was built, that it would become nothing more than a site on the official pilgrimage of government and military officials who would “pay their dues” and think nothing more of the Holocaust. Personally, I do not find the memorial very effective, though this is in part due to the fact that on my first visit I was unaware of its purpose as a memorial – I had thought it was just modern art executed on a very large scale. In 2006 I didn’t even know that the exhibition existed. I did enjoy the exhibition however, as it effectively focuses on the Jewish victims and families themselves, and not on the SS, the Nazis or their methods. Focusing instead on Jews in the context of their family lives makes the realization of the Holocaust a much more human event.

We also crossed the street towards Tiergarten where a second memorial has been placed to honor homosexuals who were victims of the Nazis. Like the Memorial to the Murdered Jews, this structure has been the topic of heated debate. The memorial features a looped video of two men passionately kissing each other, representing the kiss which would be enough to be arrested or shot by the SS. Some argue that the window from which one views this video is too low, and that children will be able to view the video, without understanding the context or purpose of it. Lesbian groups were also initially opposed to the monument, as the video features only men; thus, the decision has been made to switch the video back and forth between men and women every few years.