Arts.21 # Reflections of Germany Series (4): Holocaust Memorial by American architect Peter Eisenman # 24.01.2009

How has Germany changed since the Berlin Wall fell twenty years ago? In six episodes, ARTS.21 charts the evolution of reunified Germany based on six works created since 1989 that reflect the country’s main preoccupations. The fourth part of the series is about the Holocaust Memorial, designed by American architect Peter Eisenman. From a distance the field of steles, or upright concrete slabs of differing height, looks almost poetic, reminiscent of a small stone forest. But the moment you step into the concrete woods, you're overcome with the feeling that you will never find your way out. The light of day is near, yet impossibly far away. It's rare that a monument affects visitors like Germany's Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. Some visitors move forlornly through the stone field, others sit on top of the slabs, while children climb around on them. The monument to Europe's murdered Jews – a complex work of art.