Endless rows of books greet you. However these books are cast in concrete. This is the Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial. It stands here in Vienna. This memorial honors the 65000 Austrian Jews murdered during the Shoah. The memorial began with Simon Wiesenthal. He wanted a dignified memorial for Jewish victims.
The city of Vienna built it. Rachel Whiteread’s design was chosen. An international jury led by Hans Hollein made the selection. The memorial’s completion faced delays. Political and aesthetic controversies arose. Archaeological concerns added to the setbacks. It was finally unveiled on October 25 2000.
The Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial is a steel and concrete structure. It measures 10 by 7 meters at the base. Its height is 3.8 meters. The outer surfaces resemble library shelves turned inside out. The spines face inward hiding the titles. The shelves seem to hold endless copies. They represent the vast number of victims. It symbolizes Jews as People of the Book.
The memorial’s doors are cast inside out. They lack knobs or handles. They suggest entry but remain sealed. Whiteread’s design evokes empty spaces. It represents a library with unreadable books. It acknowledges Judaism as a religion of the book. It also speaks to cultural loss. The memorial serves as a counter monument. It contrasts grand triumphant monuments.
The artist did not intend beauty. It contrasts Vienna’s Baroque art. Its discomfort provokes thought. It evokes the tragedy and brutality of the Holocaust. Simon Wiesenthal said it shouldn’t be beautiful but hurt. The artist requested no anti-graffiti coating. She believed swastikas would make people reflect.
Engravings mark the memorial’s base. A text in German Hebrew and English points out the Holocaust’s crime. It mentions the estimated Austrian victims. A Star of David is at the center. The text commemorates more than 65000 Austrian Jews. They were killed by Nazis between 1938 and 1945.
The memorial lists murder sites of Austrian Jews. Names like Auschwitz Belzec and Bergen-Belsen are engraved. Other places include Dachau and Mauthausen.
The Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial is site specific. Its design connects with Judenplatz’s history. The square unites the excavated medieval synagogue. This synagogue was burned in 1420. The memorial stands above it.
The Misrachi house has an information area. It presents names and data of murdered Jews. It also details their persecution. The museum at Judenplatz displays the history of Judenplatz.
The foundations of the destroyed Or-Sarua synagogue lie directly under the memorial. Pope Benedict XVI paid tribute to the victims in 2007. He was accompanied by Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg. The Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial stands as a stark reminder. It honors the lives lost. It urges reflection. It prevents forgetting.