Berlin, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (#2023)

It is a strange memorial it took me a few visits before I fully understood what it was all about.

My initial feelings about it were not particularly cohesive, partly because of the distractions related to how others around me saw it. After visiting many related sites, and with the benefits of pictures that cut out the 'noise', it began to make more sense.

The tendency for distraction at something like this show the value of that middle section, where it seems you can simply immerse yourself in it. I imagine once you're in there, it gets very quiet.

Your experience makes me think of my own reaction to the Vietnam memorial in Washington (the Wall). Stylistically, I find that one of Washington's more moving monuments, and it seems to force a sense of quiet over me. I've often been alone in that, though, and have found myself surrounded by happy folk shooting pictures as if it's any other tourist site. It's a disturbing disconnect.