Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin Benjamin Daniel Fisher
Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
Berlin has always been a mystical place for me. I was raised in a Jewish home and was taught Jewish European history. I learned about Hitler’s Third Reich and the unthinkable events of the Holocaust.
As I prepared for the
Berlin trip, I was confronted with mixed emotions. On one hand, I felt weary of a place that formerly committed such heinous acts of antisemitism, while on the other, I wanted to visit the city that was central to Hitler’s regime and understand how and why those events took place. Although Nazi persecution was not limited to Jews, the focus will be on Jewish memorials in Berlin and how they act a site of collective memory.
Site & Context Plan: the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.
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Memory is an interesting phenomenon. People who experience the same event will not develop the same memories. That being said, how can the concept of collective memory exist?
How does a
memorial represent the loss of so many different people with unique stories? Can a memorial truly portray the horrific experiences of the victims? Since World War II, the German Circulation diagram: the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.
government has valiantly acknowledged the events of the past and have made it a priority to resurrect the city while continuously
Site Section: the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.
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Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
memorializing
Berlin’s
Jewish history. The philosopher George
Germans have devoted their attention
arrangement and material detailing will
Santayana stated that “those who cannot
especially to dealing with their past (81).
determine how each contributes to the
remember the past are condemned to
concept collective memory.
repeat it” and subsequently, collective
Jewish memorials in Berlin exist at three
Jewish memory is woven in to the
scales: 1) Public space: the Memorial to the
Peter Eisenman’s Memorial to the
fabric of modern Berlin. Furthermore,
Six Million Murdered Jews of Europe, 2)
Murdered Jews of Europe “attempts to
according to Hope M. Harrison,
Building: The Berlin Jewish Museum and
decontextualize the Holocaust, in the
All countries highlight various parts of
3) Human: Gunter Demnig’s Stolperstein
sense of trying to see it as a cut (or scar)
their history and make efforts to channel
or “stumbling blocks” that commemorate
in the history of Germany” (Grenzer).
“collective memory,” whether around
the individuals that worked and lived in
The memorial is large but its street
things they are proud of in the past or
Berlin before World War II.
presence is timid. At the perimeter, the
around learning from and/or atoning
Although the overall effectiveness of
large concrete columns are low in height
for things they regret from the past.
each memorial is subjective, an analysis in
and increase towards the centre of the
Since grappling with the Holocaust, the
terms of site context, organization, spacial
site. This strategy attracts pedestrians
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and creates a unique spacial experience of an undulating ground plane and towering, sometimes slanted columns. Eisenman
attempted
to
disorientate
people amidst the columnar field but the gridded arrangement left a missed opportunity to maximize the intended disorientation. For example, even at the deepest portion, one can see adjacent buildings and especially the vegetation of the Tiergarden to the East. Although the sounds of the city were diminished, it is always evident where one is located within the memorial. If the columns were
Paving Detail: the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.
randomly placed throughout the site with no clear site lines, true disorientation would have been experienced. Although the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe has a strong presence, it fails to act as a site for collective memory. It is more of a public space and urban 6
Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
playground as children were running along
in thought. This ambiguity is reinforced
the axes and people were lounging atop
with the massive concrete array, that
the shortest columns. Most importantly,
without explanation, is misrepresented
there is no moment of reflection. Visitors
as a field of gravestones. Visitors are not
are drawn to circulate through with
able to connect with the place resulting
ambiguity rather than stopping to linger
in a misunderstood intention of the
stated, “How to give voice to an absent Jewish culture without presuming to speak for it? How to bridge an open wound without mending it? How to house under a single roof a panoply of essential oppositions and contradictions?” (Young, 10).
The building addresses rather
than answers these questions through experiential sequencing in the axis of the Holocaust.
The subterranean entrance
through the original museum building doesn’t disrupt the urban context while simultaneously distinguishing old from Perspective looking east towards the Tiergarden: the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.
new. The unconventional building jogs through the site, creating public green
memorial. Ultimately, for the Memorial
clear idea of collective memory.
to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the large scale and capital investment, inability to
Comparably, Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish
fulfill the intended disorientation and the
Museum has a rich conceptual framework
neglect of a moment of reflection left no
that is integral to collective memory. He
spaces around the building and a buffer between the surrounding residential buildings. The Garden of Exile is visible from the street, allowing a portion of the memorial to be publicly viewed without entering the museum. Ben Fisher
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Schematic Lower floor plan: the Jewish Museum
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Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
street view into the site towards the garden of exile: the Jewish Museum
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The entry sequence begins at the
floor plane of the axis of the Holocaust is
those individuals and families displaced
Coming into the old building
is slanted upwards towards the Holocaust
and murdered by the Nazis. They include
creates a transition space and prepares
Tower. This creates an exaggerated sense
letters from parents to children and
visitors for an immersive experience. As
of volume, uneven feeling and a focused
family keepsakes donated to the museum.
one descends down, the ceiling height at
perspective.
This simple gestures elevates emotion
street.
the entrance stairs is compressed at the
The ascent to the Holocaust Tower is
and enhances the connection between
top and expanded at the bottom while the
lined with small artifacts belonging to
visitor and victim before experiencing
Site Section Through the Jewish Museum in Berlin
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the Holocaust Tower (see Appendix A
tall, dark and unconditioned. and all the
experience of fear and false hope: the
for example).
surfaces are polished concrete. Entry is
latter just out of reach that leads to no
Libeskind wanted “to build the museum
marked by an oversized steel door that
where, the small holes in the wall just
around a void that runs through it, a void
creaks open and slams shut behind you.
over head allowing in small amounts of
that is to be experienced by the public�
The deafening sound creates a sense of
air and light and the single light source
(Young, 11).
This void is epitomized
shock, imprisonment and disorientation.
from the ceiling that gently illuminates
in the Holocaust Tower. It is 24 meters
Inside, Libeskind uses cues that create the
the dark, cold space. I can only imagine
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what this space would feel like during the winter months. Later in the experiential sequence, the concept of disorientation is continued in the Axis of Continuity with jagged concrete struts slashing through the space, enhancing the overall conceptual parti of the building. The intention of the axis of the Holocaust is focused solely on the experience, while the interpretation of meaning is intentionally left open. This mirrors the lives of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust as each soul had their own story.
This open meaning is why
this memorial is so successful as each can relate and memorialize what they wish. As more visitors experience the axis of the Holocaust, the accumulation of their experiences develops a collective Floor plan: Holocaust Tower
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memory of life, death and persecution.
Finally, the most touching and effective memorial is the smallest and most discrete. Gunter Demnig’s Stolperstein are placed throughout the city and the “stumbling blocks� are moments of memorial for Jews that lived and worked in adjacent buildings prior to Nazi persecution.
The unplanned nature of
the experience is powerful and just like the Holocaust Tower, the brass blocks allow each visitor to pause and reflect. The collective memory is addressed through connection to the place. Visitors can imagine and interpret their own story for each name while being at the building where the victims resided. For myself, the Stolperstein are a constant reminder that the Holocaust victims were everyday people
that,
without
warning,
had
absolutely everything taken away from them. The small gesture to reintroduce
The concept of disorientation is continued in the axis of Continuity: the Jewish Museum
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their stories into the urban fabric is modest and powerful, causing me to acknowledge what they experienced and to appreciate the time and place where I live. The Stolperstein are a microcosm of everyday life and loss taken during the Holocaust. The collective memory they induce is reiterated through experiencing Berlin and is the most effective memorial I encountered during the trip.
In conclusion, the concept of collective memory is independent of size, capital investment and intent. is
The concept
predicated on the accumulation of
individual connections to historic events. The most effective method of memorial is sometimes the unpretentious.
The
Memorial to the Murdered Jew of Europe, although large and woven into the urban fabric at a large scale, is less 14 Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
Memorial in old Jewish Quarter, Mitte, Berlin: Stolperstein
effective as a site of collective memory. There is no moment of reflection which is crucial for the success of a memorial. On the contrary, the modest Stolperstein or “stumbling blocks” and the Holocaust Tower at the Jewish Museum, create a powerful and immediate connection to a site of memory. Visitors become emotionally connected and create their own memory.
The accumulation of
these thoughts and experiences is what develops the collective memory, which is powerful and magnified through specific connections to who or what is being memorialized. The events of the Holocaust were atrocious and the victim’s experiences will never fully be understood. In Berlin, the foremost attempt is to remember and develop personal connections to the past through experiencing sites of memory.
Experience within the memorial: the Memorial for the Six Million Murdered Jews of Europe.
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Appendix A Farewell Letter On August 9, 1942, shortly before she was deported to Theresienstadt, Gertrude Striem wrote this letter to her son Rolf in Bolivia, where he had emigrated in 1939. Gertrud was murdered in Treblinka on September 26, 1942. The Photo shows her as a fashionably dressed young woman at the turn of the century.
“My one and only beloved boy, I have a heavy heart. We must go to Theresienstadt on the 12th. If this is only a temporary arrangement I will gladly accept all the sadness it will cause because I will then be able to look forward to the joy of reunion with my beloved child…If fate has something else in store & we don’t see each other again, then remember that Ive love only for you, that I’ve always wanted the best for you & that I’ve desired the greatest happiness for you… Hold us in your heart just as we hold you in ours, for otherwise we could not endure this difficult path.”
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Appendix B: Additional Sketches of Sites of Memory
Compressed basement ceiling
Main floor tall ceiling
The Neues Museum Ben Fisher
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Drainage detail around the memorial pond
View through entry with the top of the Reichstag visible through the trees
Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe Murdered Under Natonal Socialism 20 Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
Typical paving detail throughout the site
Experience within the Memorial
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The Berlin Wall Memorial 22 Collective Jewish Memory in Berlin
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Looking back at the Orangerie
Looking down the terraces towards the lawn
Schloss Sansoucci Orangerie Site Plan
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The Orangerie at Schloss Sansoucci Five Minute Site Sketches
Framed View towards the Church
Intimate seating area within the garden
View towards the terraces and Orangerie from the Lawn
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Visual axis on approach
View Towards Schloss from the edge of the French Garden
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Axis continues within the formal French Garden
Schloss Charlottenberg Site Section
Looking back at the Schloss form the garden
Rough landscape of the english garden
View towards pedestrian bridge with the Schloss in the background
Perspective within the formal French Garden
Mausoleum axis
Obelisk as a focal point and terminus in the visual axis through the garden
Picturesque view through the English Garden
Schloss Charlottenberg Five Minute Site Sketches Ben Fisher
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Marmorpalais at Neuer Garten 30 minute Site Sketch
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Work Cited
“George Santayana.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 8 July 2014
Grenzer, Elke. “The Topographies of Memory in Berlin: The Neue Wache and the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe.” The Topographies of Memory in Berlin: The Neue Wache and the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 22 June 2002. Web. 7 July 2014
Harrison, Hope M. “The Berlin Wall and Its Resurrection as a Site of Memory”. German Politics and Society, Issue 99 Vol. 29 No. 2 (2011): 78 - 107
Young, James E., “Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin: The Uncanny Arts of Memorial Architecture”. Jewish Social Studies, New Series, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2000) 1 - 23.
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