Blind Worker's Factory

Monday, July 9.

We're in the home stretch! Today I had both my classes in the morning.  At 2:00pm we had an excursion to the Blind Worker's Factory.  Before our tour, we got to explore the cool graffiti by the museum.

Oh, hey there!

Alias is cool.  Anyway.  Our first part of the tour was through the factory turned museum.  This place used to be a brush factory owned by Otto Weidt who hired blind and deaf Jews to work in his factory.  Otto hid illegal Jews in his factory until they were discovered.  He used his power with the police through black market deals and bribery to save his workers from deportation.  He sent care packages to his workers when they were sent to ghettos and even helped one of them escape from Auschwitz and start her life over in the United States.  After the museum, we headed outdoors to see the oldest Jewish graveyard that was opened in 1672 and destroyed destroyed in 1943. More than 10,000 Berlin Jews were buried there.  Outside the cemetery stood a monument for the Jewish people of this neighborhood.  The monument was poignant, showing blank faces starting straight forward.  Only one face was turned towards you as you entered the cemetery.  Moses Mendellson, the father of the Jewish Enlightenment, had a grave here and the stone is still visible.

A memorial that could be utilized and enjoyed by blind people would be interesting.  I think that a relief frieze with raised sculptural images like the ones above would make an interesting and haunting memorial that could be "seen" by the blind through touch.  One does not need to see to experience a relief sculpture, especially if made big enough to show detail.  In fact, instruction could be given to all to close their eyes and feel this sculpture as if they had no sight, giving a more deeper connection and meaning to those lost in the war and the Holocaust.  As the Jews hid and had no sight, neither does the viewer as they attempt to experience this statue.  This is just an idea on how to include the blind, since their history is so connected with that area of Berlin.  I think a sound element would work to engage the viewer further, providing some sort of background music that can vibrate the relief, creating an extra layer of feeling.

Here is a beautiful sunset from yesterday.  We are heading out to start our light drawing soon.