May 11th, 2012
Today we visited the Topography of Terror, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the largest synagogue in Germany, Rykestrasse Synagogue. The Topography of Terror was a section of Berlin where the grounds were excavated to expose the lower level of Nazi security police prison where they tortured prisoners. The tour guide, Florian, was an excellent tour guide that taught everyone a lot about the history of the Reich building. The deliberate exposed walls and the ground floor of the remains is unsettling. The use of space and light both inside and outside creates an awkward experience of visual and tangible history. The design style is not unique, but causes visitors to contemplate the how and why of the Holocaust. The how and why is far too complex, but the Topography of Terror is a resource that describes the land use and the power the Nazis had within Berlin and other parts of Germany. With the bricks and mortar of the topography one thing is certain and the shadow of hatred, indifference, and diabolical thinking can cast a shadow of murder, destruction, and the annihilation of a people in a short time, and with no protest from bystanders. The Topography of Terror also is the German peoples admission of responsibility, which is the major building block of healing and moving forward.
Today we visited the Topography of Terror, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the largest synagogue in Germany, Rykestrasse Synagogue.
Topography of Terror
The Topography of Terror is the site of the former Gestapo headquarters in Berlin, in the Prinzce Albrecht Street. The original building no longer exists, because it was damaged by bombing during the war and torn down by West Berlin in the early 1950s as an uncomfortable reminder of the dark recent past of the Nazi Terror system. Only in the late 1970s did a grass roots initiative excavate the grounds to expose the lower level of Nazi security police prison where they tortured prisoners. The tour guide, Florian, was an excellent; he taught everyone a lot about the history of the original building and what was done with the site after the war. The deliberately exposed walls and the ground floor of the remains is unsettling. The use of space and light both inside and outside creates an awkward experience of visual and tangible history. The design style is not unique, but causes visitors to contemplate the how and why of the Nazi terror state.
The how and why is far too complex, but the Topography of Terror is a resource that describes the land use and the power the Nazis had within Berlin and other parts of Germany. With the bricks and mortar of the topography one thing is certain and the shadow of hatred, indifference, and diabolical thinking can cast a shadow of murder, destruction, and the annihilation of a people in a short time, with no protest from bystanders. The Topography of Terror also is one indication of German people’s admission of responsibility, which is the first step toward healing and moving forward.
