Today we arrived in Berlin, emerging from a stunning, modern train station into the vibrant hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan city. I had to take a moment to remind myself that less than 100 years ago, about 80% of Berlin’s buildings were destroyed during World War II. For years, the city struggled to unify and rebuild due to the division between East and West Berlin. It was only in 1990, with the city’s unification, that Berlin could truly begin to reflect on its past and push itself forward as a leading global capital. This complex and layered rebuilding process involved honoring and paying tribute to those who shaped the city and those who were lost.
What struck me today was how Berlin has chosen to integrate its memorials, tributes, and history into the everyday structures, pathways, and life of the city. You cannot walk through Berlin without encountering a piece of its history. The city acknowledges the past to move forward, making history the foundation of the new Berlin.
We started our tour at the the Reichstag, and right after our guide took us to the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe Murdered under National Socialism, which is just a stone’s throw from this impressive icon of the German government and the new Germany. Purposefully placed in view of the lawmakers, it serves as a constant reminder of the past. As you continue to walk through the park in the center of the city, the memorials are intentionally placed among the citizens of Berlin, ensuring that even in casual moments, the memories and reminders of what happened are present.
Another notable example that we saw walking today is the “Stolpersteine,” or stumbling stones, found throughout Berlin. These small, polished golden plaques are installed outside the homes or workplaces of individuals targeted by the Nazis. They are designed to be underfoot so that you might stumble upon them, realizing that someone who lived and worked where you are standing was persecuted and killed.
We then visited Schöneberg’s Bayerischer Platz, a former Jewish neighborhood that was home to artists and intellectuals like Billy Wilder and Albert Einstein, where an art installation with simple bold graphics on signs and lampposts highlights some of the Nazis’ anti-Semitic legislation. Our guide Ben informed us that this installation calls out the severe laws and restrictions placed on Jewish people. Yet, unless you look closely and go to read the back of the postings, the signs appear as pop art graphics, not a poignant reminder of another facet of the cities history.
Berlin has over 20 memorials to the victims of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime, but what struck me today is that these memorials don’t need to be eye-catching, large, or in-your-face to make an impact. Some of the most impactful memorials we explored were those we stumbled upon during our walk—memorials that residents see and interact with as part of their daily routines. For me, integrating these memorials, art installations, and acknowledgments of the past into the fabric of everyday life is incredibly powerful. “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” By embedding history into daily life, Berlin has taken a significant step towards acknowledging the past and moving forward.