Berlin, Germany isn’t what I expected. Then again, I don’t really know what exactly I was expecting. It’s a city very different than anything I’ve experienced, both structurally and historically.
This morning’s tour of Berlin was everything from strictly informative to highly emotional. We were exposed to many historical aspects of Berlin, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the President’s home, and various embassy’s. It is always so enlightening to be able to physically see what the textbooks have historically taught.
The more emotional part of the tour was the viewing of the Holocaust Memorial. What one tends to imagine about a particular memorial isn’t at all what Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial is. The memorial consists of over 2,500 cement blocks, all of different shapes and sizes. When introducing us to the memorial, our tour guide informed us that the architect of this particular memorial had no underlying purpose in its creation; he wanted it to be up to each individual viewer to pursue their own inspired meaning.
When walking through this vast memorial, I was consistently contemplative about what coherent meaning I could create about the memorial. My interpretation is as follows:
The simplicity of the cement blocks that make up this memorial are seemingly complicated; they have no order. No single block is like another. These individualistic cement blocks represent the various generations that are faced with their shameful German history. No one generation could possibly feel the same as the next; for some are far more removed from the tragedy than others.
The memorial isn’t necessarily beautiful in the sense that it is pleasing to the eye, but upon profound thought and ample reflection, it becomes such a beautiful representation of what constitutes the German people. Even though they wish they weren’t a part of their inevitable dark history, they realize it is just that: history, and it cannot be changed. Instead of ignoring what was once a shameful time, they humble themselves by allowing such an interpretive monument to speak for the whole of the German people; all the while allowing it to speak to each German individually.
What a beautiful experience this was today, and a true preparation for tomorrow’s horrific, yet necessary journey: Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
September 12, 2010 at 10:54 pm
It’s funny how sometimes we expect a city to look, smell and sound a certain way but is totally different!
Your description of the Holocaust Memorial was simplistic but profound-history, no matter how cruel, is important. That’s good you’ve realized the importance of it. By the way, love the photo!