MacKat in Ireland

Just south of the Brandenburg Gate lies Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, or more simply, their Holocaust Memorial.  It consists of 2,711 concrete blocks taking up an entire city block.  Some are all the way into the ground, some are 12 feet high.  The architect picked the number 2711 at random because there was no reason for the number of Jews murdered, thus he shouldn’t try and put meaning into such a meaningless act.

It sits just a block from the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag (Germany’s Capitol building) to constantly remind politicians what can happen when power is abused.

The Brandenburg Gate is one of 18 original gates to the city of Berlin, built around 1734, but it’s the only one remaining.  The statue on top was taken to Paris by Napoleon in the early 19th century but the Berliners took it back when Napoleon fell a few years later.  Upon return the olive wreath was exchanged for an iron cross.  This turned the lady from the Goddess of Peace to the Goddess of Victory.  Also, her head is turned slightly to the left so it overlooks…the French Embassy!  For the last 200 years this statue has been proclaiming “Victory over France.”

It was just inside the Wall on the East side for 28 years but now represents all that has changed about Berlin.  When we first arrived, and when we returned later that night, there were two guys – one dressed as an American soldier and the other as a Soviet – posing with tourists in front of the Gate.  I imagine they did quite well.