The Brandenburg Gate: In 1730,
the city of Berlin constructed a system of 18 gates, with one of these being the
Brandenburg Gate. It was meant as a sign of peace and religious tolerance.
Today, it is the last of the 18 gates that are still standing. It is a common
site for celebrations of the razing of the Berlin Wall. In the 4th grade, my mom and I took a trip to Berlin. When we were there, I got to see this gate along with parts of the Berlin Wall that were still standing.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial: Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American freedom rights activist working toward the equality of black and white people. In 1968, he was shot while on a balcony in Memphis, TN because a person didn't agree with him. This was a shock to the world and is still remembered as a horrific incident. In 2011, in Washington, DC, a memorial in his name was created. Last year, I went to Washington, DC and got to see the sculpture as it was being built.
The Iwo Jima Memorial: Iwo Jima is an island in the Pacific that was controlled by the Japanese during World War II and was used as a base for kamikaze attacks against the Allies. The island was very strategic: If the Allies took hold of it, they would not only stop the attacks, but would also have an airstrip that B-29 Superfortress bombers could use to attack the heart of Japan. The Americans attacked Iwo Jima in February 1945. The main objective was to get control of Mount Suribachi. As the attack was unfolding, news photographer, Joe Rosenthel, saw a navy corpsman and 5 marines raising a flag at the highest point of the hill. The photograph he took became a symbol of the Pacific war. In 1954, a life-sized, bronze cast was sculpted and brought to Washington, DC. This memorial shall always help in remembering the 26,000 U.S. casualties of the battle. I have also seen this memorial in person.
All of these sculptures have similar significances but all also have contrasting points.
These three monuments are all completely different but are all meant to celebrate national freedom and pride. The Brandenburg Gate is used as a symbol of the fall of the Berlin Wall; the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial was made to remember a man's dream of equality; and the Iwo Jima Memorial was made to remember the thousands of men lost in battle.
Even thought these are all monuments, not all were made for that purpose. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial were both made to remember important people and events from the past, but The Brandenburg Gate was used as an actual gate, as a security point for Berlin, and only later became something associated with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of Communism, and the reuniting of Germany. Only after the Wall fell, did it turn into a memorial.
Monuments like these contribute to feelings of patriotism and help people remember the sacrifices made to achieve important national goals.
These three monuments are all completely different but are all meant to celebrate national freedom and pride. The Brandenburg Gate is used as a symbol of the fall of the Berlin Wall; the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial was made to remember a man's dream of equality; and the Iwo Jima Memorial was made to remember the thousands of men lost in battle.
Even thought these are all monuments, not all were made for that purpose. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial were both made to remember important people and events from the past, but The Brandenburg Gate was used as an actual gate, as a security point for Berlin, and only later became something associated with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of Communism, and the reuniting of Germany. Only after the Wall fell, did it turn into a memorial.
Monuments like these contribute to feelings of patriotism and help people remember the sacrifices made to achieve important national goals.
That's so cool that you've been to Berlin! I haven't yet seen the Martin Luther King Memorial...thanks for includding it. As an extension, think about whether any of these operate in the way that Jone's gun did in Animal farm or the battle of the Cowshed memorialized itself. How can these memorials make us feel that pride?
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