Berlin, Germany
Historically, Berlin was my favorite city in my European travels. The entire city is rich with powerful history that serves as a reminder of the value of human life and the tragedy that can befall us when the masses follow blindly. Everywhere I visited was imbued with history, whether explicit like a museum, or implicit in the symbolic meaning of a place. The Jewish Museum was the most profound museum I have ever visited. The exhibits were heart-wrenching and Daniel Libeskind superbly created a series of spaces that led you through the history and reflected the turmoil, horror, and hopelessness of the concentration camps.
Peter Eisenman's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was also incredibly compelling. I was moved to tears as I wandered through the aisles that were reminiscent of a graveyard. What seemed orderly from above, an array of rectangles, became a concrete maze. I knew the confusion and uneasiness I felt was absolutely nothing compared to what the victims of the Holocaust endured. Watching the sun set over the sea of concrete coffins was an emotional experience.
The Berlin Wall was equally fascinating. It amazes me that a city was kept divided by this barrier for so long and was not reunited with the other half until 1989. Most of the original wall was completely destroyed, but the East Side Gallery remains a beautiful collection of expressive artwork reflective of the people's desire for freedom.
Peter Eisenman's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was also incredibly compelling. I was moved to tears as I wandered through the aisles that were reminiscent of a graveyard. What seemed orderly from above, an array of rectangles, became a concrete maze. I knew the confusion and uneasiness I felt was absolutely nothing compared to what the victims of the Holocaust endured. Watching the sun set over the sea of concrete coffins was an emotional experience.
The Berlin Wall was equally fascinating. It amazes me that a city was kept divided by this barrier for so long and was not reunited with the other half until 1989. Most of the original wall was completely destroyed, but the East Side Gallery remains a beautiful collection of expressive artwork reflective of the people's desire for freedom.