Libeskind's Not Always Wrong
Happy first birthday to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin's serious grey Lego block ackonwledgement of the Holocaust that opened in May 2005. Three and a half million visitors have contemplated the grid of 2700 grey columns of differing heights, rocketing the Memorial straight into the record books as one of Germany's top tourist attractions.
Controversy's followed this concrete grid from the start. From the planning process onwards, complaints have included the exclusion of other Nazi victims, concerns that the sculptures are too abstract, and worries about the integrity of having a sausage stand on the edge of the block. Visitors are also the target of some complaints: although the anti-graffiti coating has kept tagging to a minimum (just 10 incidents since opening day), tourists who climb and jump across the top of the pillars or set up a cosy picnic amongst the grid are perhaps not taking the message of the memorial seriously. Morons.
[Image via Anyone Anywhere/Flickr]
Related stories
Millions visit memorial [Jerusalem Post]
Frauenhotel: Men verboten [Jaunted]
Leave a Comment
Not yet a member? Click here to become a member.
Already a member? Login below: