downtown holocaust

The germans are still thinking about the holocaust. One might say they don't have a choice, as they keep being reminded of it, but it also seems like a personal journey. One might think a massive holocaust monument existed here for the last 50 years, but actually if was finished only about 3 years ago. For twenty years before that they were debating on how to put it together. Above other things, this feels to me like a german need to put that thing up .
And I kind of like it. Fields of concrete. Rectangular, in all sizes and shapes. Some more than 4 meters long, some just a few centimeters. A place to get lost in.
and there is an underground bunker, of course.
The bunker contains the real explosives – a walk through exhibition of used-to-be-living-jews. I found it quite impressive. And not worn or boring. Very accurate. Every room tells a story in a different way – from the history by historians, to notes written by victims themselves, to the family room where the history of a few families is discussed, to a dark room naming all the names of the victims (yes, it will take a long time to go over it).
it's kind of funny to see tourists walking around the concrete walls, some playing hide and seek, some posing in a funny way. i'm not sure that's what they intended, but i don't mind so much.

a more personal an intimate are the bronze pebbles you can find all across berlin. "her lived chanah goldman, born 1902, deported 1942, died 1943". that style of thing, written in small plaques on the road, next to houses that used to be inhabited by jews.