Berlin, The Holocaust, and How Jakarta Should Deal With Its Past

 May 1945, the war was nearing to an end in Europe. The Soviets and the Americans were in a race to Berlin. Hitler's best compatriots have losen hope. While the man himself was still sinking in his own enormous ego. Everyone else knew that Germany had lost. It was only a matter of time before the Red Army came marching through the streets of Berlin. They were slicing through Nazi Germany's heart, taking over every piece of land they saw, when finally, they arrived in Auschwitz. There they discovered the hell on earth that was the concentration camp. People wearing no more than their skin , which was attached to their visibly apparent bones, desperate to get out. Pleading behind the barbed fence. The smell was unimaginable. This was the moment when Nazi Germany's worst crime had come to light in the international world , "The Holocaust" as it was named, had almost wiped the entire Jewish population from the face of the earth. 6 million living, breathing, humans, were systematically murdered in concentration camps by the orders of a mad- thin moustached man. But the blame was put as though it had been done by an entire nation. The German nation.

7 decades had gone by. The Holocaust still lingers in everyones mind. Ask every basic-educated man or woman and they will very likely know about the Holocaust. What about Germany? Well, for the first 40 years after 1945, the western side had apologized numerous times to the Jewish community. Even some of their prime ministers had visited the concentration camps, memorials, and the ghettos where the Jews were first kept. The most memorable one being Willy Brandts visit to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising monument in 1970. Where he famously kneeled in front of the monument in an event which has since been known as the "Warschauer Kniefall". What about the East? Well, to be honest, the only thing they cared about were imposing communism and keeping their people from running off to the west.

Lets go to our current century. In 2003, a memorial was built in the center of Berlin. It still stands to this day.The memorial is dedicated to the 6 million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust. It consists of 2,000 concrete slabs which have the same width and length, but have varying heights. Its a beautiful spectacle. Just below it is a museum that provides information about the dozens of Jewish families that lost their lives to the Nazi regime. The memorial is only minutes away from the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of German/Prussian greatness. Talking about memorials, usually they're built by the victims in order to remember the hardships and suffering that their ancestors suffered. This memorial in the center of Berlin, is different. Built by the Germans, in the centre of the German peoples capital. Rather than acting as a remembrance, it serves as a reminder for the German people. That their ancestors have committed an attrocity, and that their race and nationality is no higher than any other race and nationality in the world. A blockade on a return path to ignorance, over-nationalism, and fascism. For the purpose of preventing another rise of racism, bigotry, and anti-semitism. It is a truly noble act by the German people. No other race/nationality/group has done this.

Now lets put our attention to another subject in todays title, Jakarta. The Big Durian. The epicenter of a great diverse nation, Indonesia. Besides its mega malls and cloud-reaching towers, Jakarta has its fair share of monuments. The National Monument, The Lubang Buaya Monument, The Proclamation Monument, The Dirgantara Statue. Basically every influental event has to be made into a monument or memorial.  Basically every influental event has to be made into a monument or memorial. So what does “Jakarta” has to do with “Holocaust”?. Clearly those two are separated by a valley in terms of differences. You may be asking, what is my point on putting “Holocaust” and “Jakarta” in the same sentence?. Well first off, what does Jakarta monuments all have in common. All of them are made to remember the brave Indonesians that have sacrificed themselves, against the occupiers, or against their own people. Yes there is nothing wrong about that. In fact it’s quite normal. You’re a young nation and you want to create the foundation of pride inside the soul of every Indonesian. Building monuments are one of the effective ways (or may I say, the Soviet way) to strengthen pride. But the problem now is, we’re not a young nation anymore. We have grown, we have done mistakes, we have done bad things in the course of our 73-year old history. The average Indonesian may know about the killings of the generals during the 30th of September 1965. But not many of us know about the mass killings of alleged communist afterwards, the massacre of Dili, the Balibo Five, the unconstitutional invasion of Timor Leste, and many more. I know what you’re thinking, these are nothing compared to the Holocaust. But isn’t it harmless to atleast put these facts on school text books. In order for the next generation not to be blinded by the notion that our country is perfect, and that our country is the greatest.


For my final word,

Our country is not perfect, and so we must embrace our countrys faults, in order to build a perfect country.