Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nazi and WWII era, while six portraits—representing the six million Jewish victims—look
outonthevisitors.TheRoomofDimensionshasglowingboxesinthefloorcontainingdiar-
ies, letters, and final farewells penned by Holocaust victims. The Room of Families presents
case-studies of 15 Jewish families from around Europe, to more fully convey the European
Jewish experience. Remember: Behind these 15 stories are millions more tales of despair,
tragedy, and survival. In the Room of Names, a continually running soundtrack lists the
names and brief biographical sketches of Holocaust victims; reading the names of all those
murdered would take more than six and a half years. The Room of Sites documents some
220differentplacesofgenocide.You'llalsofindexhibitsaboutotherHolocaustmonuments
and memorials, a searchable database of victims, and a video archive of interviews with sur-
vivors.
The memorial's location—where the Wall once stood—is coincidental. Nazi propagand-
istJosephGoebbels'bunkerwasdiscoveredduringtheworkandleftburiedunderthenorth-
eastcornerofthememorial.Hitler'sbunkerisjust200yardsaway,underanondescriptpark-
ing lot. Such Nazi sites are intentionally left hidden to discourage neo-Nazi elements from
creating shrines.
• Now backtrack to Pariser Platz (through the yellow building). Across the square (next to
Starbucks), consider dropping into...
This crisp private enterprise facing the Brandenburg Gate recalls John F. Kennedy's Ger-
many trip in 1963, with great photos and video clips as well as a photographic shrine to the
Kennedy clan in America. It's a small, overpriced, yet delightful experience with interesting
mementos—such as old campaign buttons and posters, and JFK's notes with the phonetic
“Ish bin ein Bearner.” Jacqueline Kennedy commented on how strange it was that this—not
even in his native language—was her husband's most quotable quote. Most of the exhibit
consists of photographs that, if nothing else, spark a nostalgic longing for the days of Cam-
elot.
Cost and Hours:
€7, includes special exhibits, reduced to €3.50 for a broad array of
visitors—dream up a discount and ask for it, daily 10:00-18:00, Pariser Platz 4a, tel. 030/
2065-3570,
www.thekennedys.de
.
• Leave Pariser Platz and begin strolling...
The street called Unter den Linden is the heart of former East Berlin. In Berlin's good old
days, Unter den Linden was one of Europe's grand boulevards. In the 15th century, this car-
riageway led from the palace to the hunting grounds (today's big Tiergarten). In the 17th
