Germany 2001 |
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| The building
housing the--not quite open--Jewish Museum is an exciting and imaginative
example of 20th century architecture. Designed by a team of Berlin-based
architects let by Daniel Libeskind, and American of Jewish decent, the
plan, shape, style, and interior and exterior arrangement of the building
are part of a complicated philosophical programme. The architecture itself
conveys something of the tragic history of the millions of Jews who lost
their lives in the Holocaust. The zig-zag lay-out recalls a torn Star of
David. The interior arrangement is dominated by a gigantic empty crack,
which cuts a swathe through the building. Several corridors lead to a
windowless Holocaust tower. Another leads the visitor outside, to a garden
named after the writer ETA Hoffmann. Wooden posts fill a sloping square,
evoking the emptiness and isolation faced by many thousands of German Jews
condemned to a life in exile.
The collection focuses on Jewish history and art. Also on display are numerous artifacts which were once part of everyday Jewish life in Berlin. A suite of empty rooms symbolizes lost Jewish culture. (DK 137) |
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