Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Marks, Susan
Area of Concentration
Humanities
Abstract
While researchers such as James Young, David Ellison, and Bryoni Trezise have written extensively on the unique structure of the Jewish Museum Berlin, no researcher has applied an art historical lens to their work on the building. The pattern emerging from literature on the museum displays a focus on memory theory and the function of memory, instead of visual analysis of the strange and angular building designed by Daniel Libeskind. This thesis finds that Libeskind’s design overcomes the challenge of representing the Holocaust by using abstraction instead of symbolism. Analysis of the design reveals that the structure causes a visceral and emotional experience of terror, isolation, and alienation for the visitor, an effect achieved through the museum’s sharp angles and dark colors, and the innovative voided space.
Recommended Citation
Yourish, Allya, "HOUSING AN UNSPEAKABLE MEMORY: ABSTRACTED MANIFESTATIONS OF THE VOID OF JEWISH LIFE WITHIN THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF BERLIN" (2017). Theses & ETDs. 5456.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5456