Neue Wache translating to new guardhouse is situated in Berlin, Germany and is a MEMORIAL. It retains much historical and cultural value, but is best known as a memorial to advocate the plight of the victims of war and ‘tyrannical rule’. This blog post will explore the background of the building, its architecture, and a brief on the symbolic meaning of Neue Wache.
History of Neue Wache
As a building Neue Wache was constructed in 1816, and was an original guard house of the Prussian Royal Palace but changed several times according to the political climate of Germany. In the Nazi period it was turned into the memorials for the World War I victims – soldiers who died in the war. In World War II it was nearly destroyed and has remained so until the 1960s when it was rebuilt again.
Since its reconstruction, the Neue Wache built became the memorial for the victims of fascism and the war. In 1993, it was redesigned by Heinrich Drake an architect and sculptor and given a focus on its use as a memorial site. extensions entailed installation of a central sculpture, an aperture at mid-section of the roof whereby the sculpture is exposed to the forces of nature.
Architecture and Design
It is a prospect for which the design of Neue Wache is rather purposeful and eloquent as to express grief as a message of remembrance. The building in which the centre is situated is rather plain, modern and neoclassical, its lines are laconic and its design is rather serious.
Symbolically the streamlined geometry of the wall imitates the national Holocaust museum in Moscow: under the open oculus there is a sculpture of Käthe Kollwitz’s piece “Mother with her Dead Son.” On the sculpting the mother is carrying her dead son as a sign of the misfortune of war and the loss of lives it brings.
Symbolism and Meaning
New Guard’s architecture has deep meaning so that everyone could think about the sad fact that war and oppression always have victims. Since there is no roof below the oculus, people, including storm, can put down their tear and sweat, signifying unite sorrow and people’s helplessness.
With such an impression, it is possible to see an inscription in the hall of the memorial: “Den Opfern des Faschismus”, which translates to “To the Victims of Fascism” They are intended to recall the deaths of many people during the episodes of the Third Reich and demonstrate their proactivity.
Visiting Neue Wache
Neue Wache is situated in the central city suburb called Mitte therefore people planning to visit the site have easy access to it. Visiting is free of charge and the memorial is opened for the public throughout the year in a 24 hour basis. The site is designed to offer an area where people can reflect, as well as meditate on the past.
One must approach Neue Wache with proper respect and be courteous to its meaning. Crowd noise is prohibited inside the premises of the memorial to fully experience the ambience the memorial offers is supposed to provide. It is also possible to take pictures, but it is encouraged to refrain from doing it because the room is very sacred.
If you are interested in visiting the memorial you should also consider other attractions in Berlin, for instance Brandenburg Gate and Berlin Wall Memorial.
In conclusion
Neue Wache is a symbol that helps people to understand the losses that were given by the war and tyranny. Aesthetical structure and religious images foster reflection and memorial; people are introduced to victims, while they ponder the role of compassion in reconciliation. Many tourists find the visit to this memorial in Berlin both, as a possibility to honor those people, who had died, and to comprehend what had really occurred.
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