Comparing ways of Remembering

In visiting the various Jewish districts and sights of remembrance in Berlin, certain landmarks struck different feelings upon being viewed. Namely, I'd like to compare my interpretation of the blocks of the Holocaust monument and the statue of the starved Jews in front of the Jewish cemetery. Both landmarks hold their own type of cultural significance and act as mementos to the citizens of Berlin, however the method of explaining the remembrance differs between the two vastly in my opinion. Berlin is a city of art and culture no doubt, so it wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that some of the art, including monuments, are meant to be open to interpretation. As an art form and encompassing way of viewing life I see no fault with this, except for when the remembrance of six-million murdered people is at hand. This is where my fault with the Holocaust remembrance monument comes into play.
 Being from Chicago and in a slightly jewish area, talk of the Holocaust and numerous readings of books based on such have helped my development of the utmost sympathy towards the genocide and the importance of remembering the act. A Holocaust museum was erected not too long ago a little outside of Chicago, and presumably the exhibit is utterly depressing as it should be, yet what's important to note is that you can immediately tell what it is. If the Holocaust monument in Berlin had no sign, no marker, or no way of explaining what this huge land marked signifies to the city, then I believe the average passerby would have no idea it's in remembrance of the Holocaust victims. This isn't to say it's not a completely astonishing work of art and doesn't convey the intended feelings of remembrance. I just noticed myself realizing upon my first view that the actual meaning of the monument is so open-ended and vague that I can see how someone may not even initially understand what it's intended to be.
In comparison to this, the statue of the starving jews in front of the cemetery is a perfect example of a monument that does exactly what its supposed to; immediately conveys to the viewer its meaning and significance. As we walked to the cemetery, the first thing a person would typically notice is the statue of several starved bodies gazing back at you. It's a stark and powerful reminder of what happened in Europe during those years, but more importantly theres no questioning it. The statue is undeniably meant to cue a response from the viewer, be it sympathy, astonishment, or any other wide range of emotion. What hits home about the statue however is that unlike its Holocaust monument counter part, it's not open to interpretation. There is one definitive meaning behind this statue, and that is remembrance of the murdered jews. The Holocaust monument leaves the void of interpretation so open to the viewer that if prior-knowledge was not provided, it's possible the meaning could be entirely missed.
In an over-arching sense, I believe this may tie in to Berlin both agreeing and disagreeing with its past. Some acts are so heinous and controversial that even seventy years later, as is Berlin's case, some clear examples of remembrance are at times decreased in sensitivity. The monument is a dark portrayal of what happened because of the German government at the time, yet it's not made in such a blatantly obvious way as to suggest that people are intended to immediately feel sorrow or guilt for the meaning behind it. The statue of the starved jews is however an example of Berlin owning up to or in a sense agreeing with its past. The undeniable gaze of the statue is enough to let any viewer know this is a sight of remembrance and acceptance of the crime. Ultimately both sights of remembrance are important landmarks of the city and will stick with me personally for a long time to come. Admittedly, after walking through the tall corridors of rocks in the Holocaust monument it can suddenly become quiet real how overpowering and dark the situation in Europe truly was. In comparing that feeling to the statue of starved jews, the true message of what Berlin is trying to remember or even admit to can be understood.