Holocaust Memorial
The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin commemorates 6 million Jewish victims. With 2,711 concrete steles and an information center, it has attracted over 3.5 million visitors since 2005. As one of Berlin’s most significant landmarks, the memorial should be visited during a city tour.
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Holocaust Memorial | Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe
The Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial, is located in the heart of Berlin and is a central memorial for the up to six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Designed by Peter Eisenman, it consists of 2,711 concrete steles and the Information Center. Since its solemn inauguration on May 10, 2005, access has been free, and over 3.5 million people have already visited the memorial. The Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, established in 2000, oversees both the memorial and other memorials for victims of National Socialism.
The memorial covers an area of 19,000 m² in the western part of the Mitte district of Berlin, once part of the Minister Gardens and later the “death strip” of the Berlin Wall. The historical significance of the site is underscored by its former uses, including Joseph Goebbels’ city villa and an SS bunker. The foundation plays a crucial role in the maintenance and care of the memorial as well as other memorials for the victims of National Socialism.
Structure of the Holocaust Memorial
The memorial consists of 2,711 cuboid-shaped steles arranged in parallel rows on a wavy ground surface. With varying heights between ground level and 4.7 meters and a special surface treatment for easy graffiti removal, the field of steles covers an area of around 19,000 m². The paths between the steles are uniformly 95 centimeters wide but do not provide enough space for side-by-side walking visitors. Thirteen of the pathways are accessible for people with disabilities and wheelchairs.
Originally planned with 4,000 steles, the number was later reduced to 2,711 without symbolic significance. Since 2008, cracks have increasingly been visible on the steles. The construction of the steles varies in height and inclination, with the heaviest stele weighing about 16 tons. The project, which cost a total of 27.6 million euros and was financed by federal funds, offers an impressive display on 800 m² of exhibition space.
Exhibition in the Information Center beneath the Field of Steles
The underground Information Center complements the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. With an area of 930 m², four exhibition rooms (778 m²), two lecture rooms (106 m²), and a bookstore (46 m²), it provides visitors with access to computer stations containing around four million names of Jewish Holocaust victims. The exhibition documents the persecution and annihilation of European Jews as well as the historical sites of the crimes, attracting nearly half a million guests annually.
Address
Cora-Berliner-Straße 1
10117 Berlin
Opening Hours of the Exhibition in the Information Center
Tue-Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Last admission 45 minutes before closing