History lesson

I spent Saturday taking in some heavy history, beginning with recently completed Holocaust Memorial near Brandenburg Gate. The memorial is impressive, and given the piece of history for which it stands, very well done. A grid of large concrete slabs takes up an entire square block.

From the outside, the center slabs don't look much taller than those on the edge, but as you walk inward, the ground slopes down. The concrete slabs quickly tower over you, blocking out sunlight and sound. Even with other people roaming around, I felt isolated and small.

In the afternoon I made my way over to the Jewish Museum. The zig-zagged building, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, is a strong complement to the museum's content; the space creates a truly thoughtful and reflective experience.

One installation invites visitors to walk across a floor covered in hundreds of steel plates cut to look pained faces. As I made my way through the space, I became increasingly uneasy. The sound made by disturbing the plates echoed off of the towering concrete walls. It felt like I was intruding on sacred ground.

It was a moving installation, but I was happy to get out of there and explore the rest of the museum, which uses artifacts and stories to outline the entire history of Jewish life in Germany.

I ended the day at the East Side Gallery – the longest section of remaining wall. Artists from around the world are invited to create work on the east side of the wall. The west side is a sprawling canvas for graffiti.