T4

Matt and I read an article in the NYTimes a few years ago about a new memorial in Berlin honoring the lives of those murdered in the T4 program. Over 70,000 people with physical and intellectual disabilities were some of the first to be put to death by the Nazi regime. In 2014 a memorial was finally installed near the Tiergarten to bring light to this horrific part of Germany's past. It was high on our list of things to see during our time in Berlin.

It was a highly emotional moment for us. There is a wall as seen in the first picture below which details the story. It is written in German, English and a simplified German for those with intellectual disabilities. There is also a braille translation and an audio visual section. It is fully accessible. Reading the stories of the victims, I couldn't help by glance down at Oliver in his red wheelchair and think that he and Waverly would have been taken from us. They would have been starved to death or gassed.

The memorial is a long blue glass wall. I am still trying to fully understand the meaning of the design. It definitely evoked transparency to the horrors of the past. There was also an element of removing the veil and being seen. It had a profound impact on Matt and I. I am so thankful we were able to visit it with Oliver.