Memorial

As a memorial refers to a place with strong links to important - whether positive or negative classified - historical events or people, which can be transformed horticultural and architectural monuments or memorials provided with sometimes.

Small memorials consisting sometimes only of a commemorative plaque, to large museums are often connected. In the U.S. Memorial ( memorial places ) partly as parks ( memorial parks ) are created.

Many memorials in Germany can be found in places with reference to Nazism, such as former concentration camps, they remember the victims, sometimes even to the perpetrators of the Nazi regime. But also for remembering the victims of the Soviet occupation zone and the GDR dictatorship, the term has naturalized.

Memorials are mostly historical places like concentration camps, extermination camps, detention and execution sites. These sites should be preserved and brought " to speak ". They usually also offer permanent exhibitions on the history of the place and the contexts of its historical monuments and memorials function, etc., however, are built in the public and certain for the duration of material, plastic and possibly equipped with inscriptions (art) works to individuals or events remember. Buildings, columns, grave mound, stelae and statues make the past present and keep it for the future in mind.

Many of these places develop an intensive educational work, especially with young people. In addition to the large and well-known public memorials ( in sponsorship of the countries and partially supported by the federal government ), many memorials were created in civic initiative in Germany, which participate in the task of remembering, remembrance and exhortation.