Berlin, although a city filled with numerous art and cultural projects, is a city that has an intense history that is still present throughout. The Nazi regime and all of the horrors that are associated with it still maintain a heavy presence throughout Berlin. Yet Berlin acknowledges this terrifying past, an aspect of the city which can be seen throughout the various monuments erected for those who have suffered during Nazi control.
Both artists and architects visited some of these monuments, including the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, created by former Cornell student Peter Eisenman. The memorial pays tribute to all of the Jewish individuals who were killed during the Holocaust, whose names are located in a museum underneath the memorial. Located in a park, on the other side of a memorial, there is an installation serving as a tribute to all of the homosexual individuals who were also persecuted during the Holocaust. Both memorials are emotional and sincere, truly honoring those who had suffered.
After the Second World War, Berlin was occupied by the Allies and Russia, ultimately resulting in the construction of the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin. Families were torn apart and people’s livelihood was completely disrupted. What followed the construction of the Berlin Wall was a period of suffering, angst, and a desire to reach the other side. As people tried desperately to climb over the wall, they were killed by soldiers who claimed that the wall was there to protect the citizens from Fascist politics. Yet the people of Berlin were not deterred and continued to rebel against the Iron Curtain which had destroyed so many of their lives. Ultimately, they were given access to the other side in 1989, and the wall was officially demolished in 1992. Remnants of the wall are still visible, separated by parts of the Berlin Wall Memorial which pays tribute to those who were killed. There is also a Chapel of Reconciliation which serves as a location for prayer. The places that we visited are only some of the various memorials erected in Berlin, all beautiful tributes to an ugly, but important past.
-Veronica