Rosenstrasse Women's Memorial: An Organic Shoah Ensemble

Berlin's Rosenstrasse Women's Memorial commemorates the protests of non-Jewish women against the arrest and deportation of their Jewish husbands in 1943. This little-seen ensemble is astonishing in its style and representations.

A Visit to the Rosenstrasse Women's Memorial Is Optional.

National Socialist anti-Semitism followed a political agenda dictated by both ideology and external events. The pattern is simplistic, almost classic in the history of the European extreme right: if Germany is doing well, it's because the Jew is doing badly. This notion found its perfect expression in the oft-repeated slogan in German society at the time: “The Jews are our misfortune”. On the other hand, every setback was seen as the fault of the Jews, or more precisely, of international Jewry, and therefore stateless.

The distinctive feature of National Socialist anti-Semitism lies in its apocalyptic vision of a thousand-year battle between Semites and Arians. The genocidal intention was theoretical, but it permeated the whole of German society and became a material reality during the Second World War. In response to its military failures in Moscow in 1941 and Stalingrad in 1943, the Nazi government intensified its anti-Semitic policies. In February 1943, it was decided to empty Berlin of the last remaining Jews, who until then had been preserved as essential workers or protected by mixed marriages. This was the Fabrikaktion.

However, the smooth running of the regime depended on the adherence or, at the very least, the resignation of the population. When major opposition arose, a temporary withdrawal took place. In February 1943, non-Jewish wives protested in Berlin for the release of their husbands and children. After several days of fighting, the authorities relented and the prisoners returned to their homes. In 1995, a memorial commemorating the event was inaugurated on Rosenstrasse.

Turning a Blind Alley

On a long boulevard linking Alexanderplatz, Museum Island and the Brandenburg Gate, a small cul-de-sac leads to the Rosenstrasse Women's Memorial. It stands in the middle of a small green space surrounded by prefabricated buildings. Often littered with garbage, the park is in no way conducive to contemplation or relaxation. In the center, several sculpted blocks form an arc. Their condition is deplorable, and the sandstone of the statues shows an obvious lack of maintenance. The first impression is of an unfortunate cesspool.

The rectilinear blocks symbolize the oppression of a dehumanized system. Yet within them, slender reliefs of men and women can be seen. Sometimes, these curved forms break the lines of the block in a curiously voluptuous, organic spirit. The break is made and the sets come together. These are women reclaiming their husbands, their loved ones, in an irresistible and liberating impulse: love, the instinct for survival perhaps. Alongside them, blocks resist, keeping people trapped and compressed. Figures emerge outside the walls, individuals crushed by the regime, symbolizing the destruction of people and Jewish culture.

On closer inspection, the faces become highly expressive and the gushing volumes overflow. Engravings appear, drawing symbols that are sometimes explicit for those who know their meaning. Information is inscribed at the entrance to the park, but remains rather obscure to the uninitiated. Further away, a man sitting on a bench watches the scene. He represents the indifference of those who, passively, have expressed their indignation or approval. This sculpted section is a mirror inviting visitors to take a stand on the tragic events unfolding before their eyes.

Artistic Representation of History

The Rosenstrasse Women's Memorial is surprising in several respects, which goes some way to explaining the reservations and criticisms levelled at it. The artistic style is highly organic, with bodies intertwined and intermingled. The individuals form a mass, a coherent whole that is both a harbinger of tragedy and a bearer of hope. Everything happens through feeling, hence the paucity of on-the-spot information. The movement creates a heroic dynamic, reminiscent of the dominant socialist trend in the former East Germany.

The artist Ingeborg Hunzinger was a convinced communist. A member of the SED, she had sided with the GDR and moved there in 1949, subsequently becoming an important figure on the East German cultural scene. Despite certain differences of opinion, she remained committed to her anti-fascist and socialist ideals throughout her life. Ingeborg Hunzinger was also Jewish on her mother's side, and as a half-Jew was not allowed to work or marry under the National Socialist regime. She therefore went to study in Italy and discovered the works of Michelangelo, which had a profound influence on her artistic sensibility.

The Rosenstrasse Women's Memorial thus has its roots in both realism and humanism. This fusion, the fruit of a personal journey, gives the work a rather disturbing dreamlike quality. Is this open to criticism? The answer is no, because the artist has his own vision. However, this aesthetic does not invite us to reflect on the Shoah for what it was, namely an act of absolute negation against Jewish people. By focusing on non-Jewish women rather than their Jewish companions, the narrative is profoundly altered.

Reasons to Visit

• The dynamism of the sculptures

• Richness of detail and symbolism

• The artist's personal vision

Reasons to Skip

• Poor promotion of the site

• A counterpoint to the Shoah

• An outdated work