The walk between the huge concrete slabs of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, or Holocaust Memorial for short, can be a sobering experience. The dramatic memorial contains around 3,000 concrete slabs, called the Field of Stelae, across 20,000 square metres. It is a harrowing tribute to one of humanity’s darkest episodes: the systematic murder of millions of Jewish people during the reign of the Third Reich from the 1930s and throughout World War II.
Away from the busy bustle of the city, the solemn atmosphere of the memorial site is designed to encourage quiet reflection. In the middle of the memorial, the concrete is high enough to block out most of the sounds of Berlin, and the slabs are designed to allow you to walk through and around in contemplation. The paths lead you past slabs of different heights, and ripple against the rise and fall of the floor.
The design of the memorial was decided from a competition in 2005. Architect Peter Eisenman opted not to have an official explanation of what the memorial meant, allowing people to choose their own symbolism. Do the slabs represent people, or are these thousands of unmarked gravestones? Wander around the memorial to draw your own conclusion.
Below the Holocaust Memorial is the Information Centre. Here, visitors can enter a room listing the names of each Jew who died in the Holocaust. The Information Centre opens on different days and times throughout the year, and closes on some public holidays, so it's best to check in advance.
The Memorial is open all day and the entry is free, though donations are welcome. A small fee applies for guided or audio tours.
Find the memorial adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate. It is only a short walk from Potsdamer Platz and Brandenburg U-Bahn stations.
