The memorial design by Daniel Libeskind consists of four Hebrew letters that make up a word that translates as ‘In memory of’. When visitors enter the memorial, they find themselves in a labyrinth of passageways flanked by two-metre-tall brick walls that convey the message ‘In memory of’. Inscribed on each of the 102,000 bricks is a name, date of birth and age of death, in such a way that the name of each victim can be touched. The walls of names support the four letters in reflective stainless steel.
This national memorial will be located in the heart of the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam, there where it all happened more than seventy years ago.
Brick is a building material used throughout the Netherlands and western Europe. In combination with the highly reflective geometric forms of the steel letters, the brickwork connects Amsterdam's past and present. A narrow void at the point where the brick walls meet the metal forms makes it appear that the steel letters float, symbolizing the interruption in the history and culture of the Dutch people.
