Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is a place of remembrance, commemoration, and serves as a reminder. In its abstract form, the wave-shaped field of stelae is intended to inspire visitors to face the historical events of the persecution of the Jews. Underground under the Holocaust Memorial, the "Place of Information" documents the events of the time of persecution and annihilation of the Jews in Europe on the basis of original relics.

Place of Information

The memorial is complemented by the underground "Place of Information" designed by New York architect Peter Eisenman. On an area of 800m², the exhibition impressively documents the persecution and extermination of Jews in Europe. In the foyer you will first receive basic information on the historical background before you can then experience the places of the persecution of the Jews and the fates of the victims from a personal and historical perspective in four themed rooms. Go on a journey through time and remember the victims of the Holocaust when you discover their personal fates in the room of dimensions, the room of names, and the room of families which are documented with pictures, farewell letters, and diaries. Using short biographies, the victims lose their anonymity while historical photographic and film material clearly shows the places of extermination and persecution.

Abstractness and openness for personal confrontation

The German Bundestag had decided to erect a monument to the murdered Jews of Europe in 1999, however, the debate about the location, the message, and the implementation took almost ten years before Peter Eisenman's concept was awarded the contract and the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe was finally inaugurated on 10 May 2005. Since then, 2,711 concrete pillars have adorned the 19,000m² area, which is accessible 24/7. Thanks to the open space structure, you can enter the monument from all sides and see its undulating structure differently from each side. The gently sloping ground, the abstract nature of the site, and the lack of a central point leave enough room for a personal discussion of the important topic. With his design, Eisenman managed to establish a worthy place of remembrance and thematisation of the Holocaust without any traditional means. You can listen to the song "Vor dem Verstummen" by Harald Weiss on iPhones here.

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