Memorial Assignment

With the amount of tragic history the city of Berlin has endured, it is appropriate to memorialize some of these events, people, and days. When such disastrous things take place, it is hard to decide whether to pay tribute to such a thing or not, and if so, how? The Nazi period and era of the Berlin Wall are two points in history in which the city of Berlin has had to struggle with these decisions.

The Nazi period was a dark time in Germany’s history. I think that the German’s have appropriately memorialized the things and people of that time. The Holocaust Memorial by Peter Eisenman pays tribute to those who lost their life during the Holocaust. I think this memorial is important in the fact that it doesn’t just remember the Jewish people that died but everyone including the gypsies, homosexuals, and a-socials. As Americans, for some reason, we focus on the Holocaust in terms of how the Jewish population was affected. It is important to realize and remember that the Holocaust included much more. The Jewish Museum memorializes in a way the entire history of the Jewish people. One particular exhibit focuses on the Jews killed during the Nazi period. This exhibit succeeded in stirring up strong emotions for these people. I didn’t necessarily agree in the way in which the artist evoked these emotions (walking on “faces” of the ones suffering). I don’t believe we as outside parties should have to feel responsible for what happened. The Nazi’s have been recognized and portrayed in an important way in various museums in Berlin. I think by recognizing this past allows people to learn from history and prevent these mistakes from happening in the future. I feel that recognizing the party in museums and not in open public memorials was a smart and appropriate decision. It is evident through the way they have dealt with Nazi memorialization that the German people have learned from this era and are aware of the possibility of Neo-Nazi’s trying to create an uprising.

In more recent history, the era of the Berlin Wall is still affecting the people of Berlin. This period of time is one that people would understandably want to forget. Again, I think it’s important to remember these points in history because it was an important part of what defined Berlin. It also allows people to remember how much progress they have made as a city and a people. The Wall Memorial, I feel, is small enough that residents and tourists can recognize the severity of the time, yet it has been removed enough so that it is not the intrusive object that it once was. I really appreciated how they marked where the entire wall used to be with the two rows of stones through the streets all around the city. It is a subtle thing acting as a scar on the face of the city. It tells a story, and adds to the palimpsestic qualities of the city. Checkpoint Charlie, however, was not much more than a tourist attraction, most tourists being American. I don’t feel like having the checkpoint still up with fake soldiers standing in front adds anything of importance to the Berliners’ dally lives. The Checkpoint Charlie Museum is very informative and allows people to understand how life was for Berliners during this difficult and divided time. This is still a touchy subject for the people of Berlin in many ways, and from an outsiders perspective they are able to work through some of their issues as a city through these memorials.