Overview

Sixty years after World War II, the city of Berlin unveiled its monument to the Jewish victims of the crimes of the Third Reich. An international symbol of German atrocities, the controversial Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas located next to the Brandenburger Tor and near the buried remains of Hitler's underground bunker, was more than 15 years in the making. Designed by U.S. architect Peter Eisenman, the memorial's grid of 2,711 gray concrete slabs covers a vast area in the heart of Berlin. The slabs, or stelae, stand at varied heights of up to 15 feet, creating the sense of a stark concrete forest, through which visitors can wander on uneven cobblestone pathways. The memorial has sparked fierce discussion and controversy. Critics argue that the abstract design and the failure to acknowledge the Third Reich's other, non-Jewish victims might alienate visitors to the multi-million dollar project. Populary known as the Holocaust Memorial, this place definitely deserves a visit. An underground visitor center offers background information, admission is free of charge.