The view from above of Berlin's Jewish Museum is that of a large zig-zag line, which earned it the nickname "blitz", German word for thunderbolt. The museum has no access of any kind from the street. The entrance is located in an adjacent building, a museum of German history, through a staircase and tunnel embedded in a concrete tower that goes through all the floors of the German museum.

Supposedly this symbolises that German and Jewish history are inseperable. German-Jewish relations have had their bad times, and suprisingly, although the exhibitions wouldn't necessarily give it away, their good times. The three main arteries in the building are, The Axis of Death, which leads to a concrete tower that has been left empty, called The Holocaust Tower; The Axis of Exile, which leads to an exterior square courtyard composed of concrete columns, called The Garden of Exile; and The Axis of Continuity, that goes through the other two hallways, representing the permanence of Jews in Germany in spite of the Holocaust and the Exile.

Heavy stuff indeed. The building was designed by American-Jewish architect Daniel Libeskind, who is also responsible for the Ground Zero project in New York. Entrance for adults is €5, children €2.50.

Why should I go
Because the museum is worth visiting for the architecture alone

Where
Lindenstraße 9-14, walking distance from Checkpoint Charlie

Homepage
www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de

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