Holocaust Memorial in Berlin
The German memorial honoring six million Jews murdered by the Nazis opened to the public May 12, 2005. View pictures from the site.
Nearing Completion
On Dec. 15, 2004, architect Peter Eisenman and Wolfgang Thierse, the president of the German parliament (from right) helped lower the last concrete slab in its place.
Moving Forward
In July 2004, half of the memorial's 2,711 concrete slabs had been put in place and dignitaries came to the site to mark the progress.
Reflecting on the Dead
A rabbi visits the memorial during the official opening on May 10, 2005
A Place to Remember
The first visitors in the memorial's information center, which lies below ground.
Taking Shape
A construction worker walks in front of some of the memorial's concrete slabs in March 2004.
Too Small for Two
People walk between the concrete pillars during the official inauguration of the site on Tuesday. May 11, 2005. The paths between the concrete slabs are intentionally too narrow for two people to walk beside each other to give visitors a sense of isolation.
Informing Visitors
The information center focuses entirely on the victims of the Holocaust and does not offer material on the Nazi perpetrators, a fact that has been criticized by some, including the head of the Council of Jews in Germany, Paul Spiegel.
A Concrete Reminder
Red roses are pinned to the contruction fence that still surrounds the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin on May 10, 2005. After years of debate and delay, Germany on Tuesday finally dedicated its national Holocaust memorial, an undulating field of concrete slabs on a site resonant with both the terror of German history and the vibrancy of today's reunited Berlin. It was opened to the public on Thursday and will be accessible around the clock.
In the Heart of Berlin
A view of the memorial by night. The city's Potsdamer Platz, which was completely rebuilt after unification in 1990, is seen in the background.
Reaching for the Sky
While some of the 2,711 concrete slabs near the edge are only knee-high, those in the middle rise up to 4.7 meters (15.4 feet) high.
Mirroring the Memorial
An unidentified visitor looks at private documents of Holocaust victims inside the information center of the Holocaust memorial. The displays mirror the shape of the 2,711 concrete slabs of the memorial above.
Remembering the Victims
The giant portraits of six Jews murdered by the Nazis hang at the entrance of the memorial's information center. They represent the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. So far, the names of 3.5 million Jews are also on display at the center.
A Constant Reminder
The memorial stands just down the street from the Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament.
Canyons of Sorrow
The floor of the memorial is uneven, giving people a feeling of disorientation as they meander through the site.
A Concrete Sea
Aerial view of the memorial, which is made up of 2,711 concrete slabs.