History In Berlin

July

8th

Holocaust memorial (between the “Brandenburger Tor” and “Potsdamer Platz”)

This Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also called Holocaust memorial, is dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust during the National Socialism in Germany. Designer of the Holocaust memorial is the architect Peter Eisenman from New York. With a size of nearly 19,100 square meters, the visitors can learn to understand the history and tragedy of what happened to the Jews in Germany in past times.

The architect Eisenman wanted to create a memorial with room for different interpretive possibilities: So for example there is a total of 2,711 meters of massive blocks of concrete to remember the resting place of many of the victims. They share a similarity with the sarcophagus- graves of traditional Jewish cemeteries. For visitors and pedestrians these blocks can serve as little seats for when you’re tired from walking around. If you are going considerably deeper into the memorial, you can get a quite different and emotional impression: If you are going deeper you slowly creep into a world apart from the outside world and suddenly you get a feeling of loneliness, darkness and uncertainty.

According to public opinion, there are always controversial debates about the form and use of the monument. Critics accuse Eisenman that he created a memorial in a monotony of design and a lack of clear interpretive possibility. Other minorities such as Sinti and Roma feel disadvantaged because it is just a memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe.

Topography of Terror, Berlin

The “Topography of Terror” foundation went from a temporary exhibition project that harks back on a commitment of some individuals and groups. In the area where you can find today the exhibition, between Niederkirchnerstraße, Williamsstraße and Anhalter Straße, where you could once before find, at the end of the Second World War, the central institutions of the National Socialists.

This area formed the best place for this exhibition and deals with the cruel part of the story better. The permanent exhibition “Topography of Terror”, an open-air exhibition, examines various aspects: With the help of exhibitions, lectures and discussions, the visitors appropriate background information about the Jewish German History. The exhibition “Topography of Terror” managed to exhibit the terrible events of the German history.

Jewish Museum in Berlin

The Jewish Museum in Berlin can present to the visitors two eras of German Jewish history; the high and low points of the relations between Jews and non-Jews in Germany. The museum houses a permanent exhibition, several temporary exhibitions, a comprehensive archive, a Learning Center of Rafael Roth and research institutions. All these departments coincide to present Jewish culture and Jewish German History.
The museum is located in the district of Kreuzberg in the Lindenstraße and connects the baroque house “Kollegienhaus” (former seat of the Court Chamber) with this new building. The construction shaped like a zigzag goes back to a draft of the American architect Daniel Libeskind. The construction that still continues outside recalls a burst Star of David .The museum had since the opening 2001 to mid- 2007 over four million visitors. With about 715,000 visitors in 2006 this museum is one of the most visited museums in Berlin.

If you are interested in the Jewish history in Germany, Berlin is the perfect place to discover the history. Of course, there are even more sights in Berlin regarding the history of the Jews, but these three mentioned museums/ exhibitions should not be missed at the next holiday in Berlin. The planning of the Berlin holiday is fairly straightforward and fast, because in Berlin you can find a great variety of Berlin apartments (Berlin Ferienwohnung Ferienwohnungen Berlin Ferienwohnungen in Berlin) and the Hotels Berlin (or Berlin Hotel) can also offer you a magnificent service. Just spend a while on the internet and you will find the perfect accommodation (Berlin Unterkunft)during your Berlin stay!

Twitter This