Holocaust Memorial

This monument caused a fair amount of controversy when plans were proposed in 1994, partly because the square that it stands on is amongst the prettiest in Vienna. However, the plaza is the historic Judenplatz (Jewish Square), and owing to the subsequent revelation that the remains of a medieval synagogue lay underneath, a memorial on this spot was hardly inconsequential. British artist Rachel Whiteread came up with the concept. And what a concept it is. Thousands of inverted books, representing lives of the lost Austrian Jews, line the exterior. The famed Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesanthal initiated the project, and it was he who ultimately unveiled the monument in October 2000. All in all this is one of the finest memorials of its kind - simple, dignified and yet with a spiritual dimension.

A brilliant work of art and memorial that will stand the test of time. I've never seen anything quite like it.

Simple, yet powerful. A spot of something else while in Vienna.