Significance

Memorial. A memorial is a structure that is established to remind people of a certain event or person.

When I was told to write my thoughts about a memorial, I wrote this exact definition. I’ve seen the Vietnam Memorial. I’ve seen the people names on the wall. I’ve closed my eyes and prayed for their families. However, I’ve never understood the value and meaning behind the structure of a memorial.  What is the significance of a memorial? 

Maybe for the common man that visits a memorial, you feel the grief for a moment and move on. But, for many that have lost loved ones, a memorial serves as respect and acknowledgement of the person’s contribution. Memorials hold a meaning that is much more impactful and important than what is seen at first glance. 

For example, The Holocaust Memorial, or Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, was designed to give representation to over 3 million Holocaust victims. As you walk into the memorial in Berlin, you see large 2711 slabs of concrete (slatae) with nothing engraved. No names. No dates. As you keeping walking, the memorial feels like a maze, purposely created to represent the chaotic atmosphere. For Berlin, this chaotic atmosphere instills a sense of fear in common citizens of the idea to not commit the same mistakes. Furthermore, the Holocaust Memorial is a cenotaph "a memorial to someone whose corpse lies somewhere else" (Postcards from the Trenches). While these different details do spark reflection in a visitor, so does location. The Holocaust Memorial is placed where the Berlin Wall used to be, portraying unity and a new beginning.  

Memorials serve as an important warning to the world of the rugged past and hopeful future. Wolfgang Thierse said "The Holocaust memorial serves as a place where people can understand “what loneliness, powerlessness, and despair mean.”