The Dutch Auschwitz Committee has been given the go ahead to build a monument honouring Dutch Holocaust victims after the plans were challenged in court.
Honouring Dutch Holocaust victims outweighs objections of locals
Local residents from the Weesperstraat area where the monument is to be built argued that the monument is too large, the area cannot handle the expected large number of visitors and unsafe situations could potentially break out.
The court ruled the objections were unfounded and stated the monument is built in an open space and adequate measures will be taken to monitor safety.
Jacques Grishaver, the chairman of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee, is thrilled with the ruling. He commented:
“It was a very long battle with a lot of tension and nerves, but it will be all right. It is terrible that you have to fight such a battle over the memory of 102,000 people, because that is what it comes down to.”
Berlin memorial also stirred controversy
When American architect Peter Eisenman proposed his plans for the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, he received a lot of backlash. Critics protested against the abstract design and lack of written information included within the memorial and others even went as far to say that the nameless concrete slabs were offensive to the people who lost their lives during the Holocaust.
Eisenman’s intention behind the design was to capture loneliness, powerlessness and despair and bring viewers closer to comprehending the loss.
Watch the YouTube video about the design here: