Holocaust Memorial Analysis

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There are few Holocaust memorials as vast as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The area covered by the thousands of concrete pillars covers a space larger than a football field and is located right in the middle of Berlin, Germany. Included with the memorial is an underground Information Center in which visitors can learn about the Holocaust and its victims. The memorial itself is very abstract – so much so that some people do not think it belongs. On the other hand, there are others who believe that the memorial’s abstraction is the perfect way to commemorate the atrocities of the Holocaust. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe works together with three other monuments around the city of Berlin, each memorializing their own…show more content…
This type of approach completely broke the traditional concepts of memorialization, in which the memorials used a lot of symbolism in their designs. The number of stelae and their grid-like organization mean nothing. Eisenman also “felt that everyone should experience the memorial individually,” something that is achieved by the limited space between each stelae (“Berlin’s Awe-Inspiring…”). The vastness of the monument itself also contributes to its isolating experience – a visitor may not see anyone else while they are roaming the Field of…show more content…
Since the Field of Stelae is accessible on all sides, a visitor can enter and exit anywhere, exploring the pathways created by the concrete pillars for as long he or she wants. The massive stelae can provoke a feeling of forced isolation, which “deprives and victimizes the visitors” (“Berlin’s Awe-Inspiring…”). In addition, as one travels deeper into the Field of Stelae, the city fades away and everything becomes quiet. The field itself is also purposely not built on even ground so that in some places (like in the center), visitors are actually below street level. Because of this unevenness, some parts of the field are darker, quieter, and cooler than others. The grid’s pathways can also be very unsettling – a visitor may see the same person ten or more times, but another person only

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