Exploring World War Two history in Berlin, Germany is a solemn affair as the harsh realities of the Second World War confront you at every turn. In Germany, it’s like time has stood still and connecting with the past is accessible by taking a walking tour.
The Holocaust Memorial, also known as, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, in Berlin, is dedicated to the over 6 million Jews who perished in the Second World War at the hands of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The monument is composed of 2,711 rectangular concrete blocks, laid out on a wavelike slope in a grid formation covering over 4.7 acres. The concrete blocks, called “stelae” are all 7 ft long and 3 ft wide with varying heights. The word Stelae is derived from Latin, is a stone or wooden slab erected in the ancient world as a monument. In this overview photo by photographer Alexander Blum, you can see the undulating mass of stone slabs which looks extraordinary and even more so in person when one disappears inside its labyrinth.
Photo cred: Alexander BlumAccording to one of the architects, Peter Eisenman, “the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere” and indeed they do.
The paths are constructed to be just wide enough for one person to walk forcing everyone to walk alone and experience it for themselves.
When I first walked up to the memorial it looked unassuming but as I entered that quickly changed. I entered behind a group of other people but within a split second, with a turn in either direction and each person seemed to – disappear. Resembling the lives that were extinguished in the War.
As you walk in, the slabs are only a few feet tall but as you walk deeper into the labyrinth you feel overtaken as they rise above you to over 15 feet in height. The further you go they start to feel like unearthed ancient sarcophagi towering above you.
Alone and wandering, the sounds of people’s voices and children’s laughter bounced off the stones in all directions before – vanishing. This made me reflect on the echoes of the past lives lost and the memories that survived.
Photo Cred: Chumchum14This last photo is by photographer, Chumchum13, and shows what it looks like in the winter. This image really makes one think of these stone monuments as tombstones thrown out over a vast landscape forever frozen in time.
Next up on the tour:
When I found that I was going to Berlin, I decided to book a history tour called, Berlin Third Reich and Cold War 2-Hour Walking Tour, that I found on Trip Advisor. For just about $44 USD per person, we had an excellent guide and a small group of about 10 people, linked above. Our guide was a son of a Holocaust survivor and the tour gave us a deeper insight of the history we were exploring.
Next Stop: Adolf Hitler’s Bunker
The next site that we visited was the site of Adolf Hilter’s underground bunker which was just across the street from the Holocaust memorial. The site of this bunker and final resting place of Hitler was planned out to be forgettable and his memory erased, but alas, in 2024 I found myself in front of a parking lot hearing about his final days in his underground bunker as dozens down there took their lives and their lives of their children.
As the story goes, the Russians were the first to find Hitler, dead by gunshot wound on April 30, 1945. Our guide told us the Russians took his body and cremated his remains and then released the ashes in an undisclosed river up north to never allow any type of remembrance anywhere on earth.
Other stops on our tour:
Other stop on our walking tour including visiting the Brandenburg Gate which I loved for no other reason than Napoleon himself stole the statues on the top in 1806! The Gate, built in 1781, draws from the tradition of the Roman triumphal arch, which is probably why Napoleon took it back to Paris where it was soon returned after his defeat in 1814.
Memorial to those who lost their lives trying to cross the Berlin Wall:
Line on the Ground, whats Left of the Berlin Wall
I brought these historic black and white photographs with me and placed them down on the white line that represents the Berlin Wall. The one of Martin Luther King, Jr. visiting the Berlin Wall is one of my favorites.
Brauhaus Spandau Brewery and Inn
The Brauhaus Spandau Brewery and Inn was a massive highlight on this trip and I highly recommend going there to eat. It is located about 30 minutes away from the center of Berlin which was a welcomed break from the big city. They had vegetarian options on the menu including traditional German potato soup and big salads which was awesome. As for the beer, this brewery has the best beer I have ever had and that says a lot considering I lived in Prague, Czech Republic for time. My friend stayed here as they have a small number of rooms available, link below. However, I stayed at the Ibis Berlin Spandau down the street for about $130 USD and that worked out really well and just a 10-minute walk from the Brauhaus Spandau pub.
Sharon Fitzgerald, MA | Berlin, Germany | July 2024 |all photos mine unless notes
U. S. History and Government High School Teacher & Former adjunct art history professor, CSULA
Check out all of my YouTube videos on this trip on my YouTube Europe 2024 Playlist
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Sharon Fitzgerald, MA | U.S. History Teacher |Former adjunct art history professor, CSULA | IG: @sharon_la | YouTube @sharonfitzgerald
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