The Memorial to the Murdered Jews, also known as the Holocaust Memorial is a memorial in Berlin, Germany to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The memorial was designed by architect Peter Eisenman. Sited on a 19,000 square meter block near the Brandenburg Gate. Covered with 2,711 concrete pillars arranged in a grided pattern. The pillars tilt and lean ever so slightly to represent the ordered system that has started to fray and lose balance. There is an uneasy feeling when entering the monument as the ground begins to give way and slope inwards and quickly you find yourself lost within the rows of pillars. There is an underground place of information which holds all the known names of the Jewish Holocaust victims. Construction on the memorial began in April 2003 and finished in December of 2004. The cost of the project was approximately 25 million euros. The memorial is subtle while still offering a public space to the public. On my visit adults and children were running through the space, amazed by the labyrinth of pillars and the playful nature of such a serious memorial.
Jennie West
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