"Horror and Hope"

This was an entry in the most recent Fotki photo contest. It is a stark and beutifully haunting photo. Although I haven't been to the memorial, it appears (and rightly so) frightening and oppressive.... An amazing photo.

"Horror and Hope" © Napomo

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
"After following the discussion around the Holocaust Memorial for some years in the media, I finally had the opportunity to visit it during my recent visit of my birthplace, Berlin. At first sight from outside I almost felt shocked and embarassed, the place for me resembled the stock ground of a dealer in building blocks rather than a memorial for 6 million murdered human beings. I only realized the fantastic concept behind those concrete blocks by going in, spending time and sensing the spirit of the place between the highest and most depressing stelae, exploring the almost surealistic play of light and shadows on the smooth surfaces, the ups and downs of the floor, the thousands of parallel lines which lead your eyes in so many directions and always end up in light.

It's a place that leads your mind to one of the darkest chapters of mankind, to the essence of guilt and of suffering and at the same time to ubiquitous hope and light. I visited the Memorial 3 times and the more time I spent there, the more I grasped its meanings." Napomo

"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say." (Primo Levi)

My thanks to Napomo for allowing me to post this, here.