Designed by Peter Jacobi, the memorial includes symbolic references to the victims of the Holocaust. Hebrew letters on each side of the columns spell out zachor, meaning “remember,” while a wheel serves as a symbol of the deported Roma (referencing the wheel featured on the Romani flag).
Elsewhere at the site, visitors can see parts of tombstones looted from Jewish cemeteries and the names of victims inscribed on walls. Many Jewish-themed tours of Bucharest make stops at the memorial as well as other notable Jewish sights, including the Great Synagogue, and the Jewish Museum.
The Holocaust Memorial is situated just west of Lipscani, Bucharest’s old town. To get here by public transport, take the metro (M1 or M3) to Izvor. The memorial is less than 10 minutes from there on foot.
The memorial can be visited at any time of day or night. At dusk, when crowds are thin, the site is especially well-suited to contemplation.
The Holocaust Memorial is one of several sites in the Romanian capital that serve as reminders of the city’s once-thriving Jewish community, as well as of its demise. Other important Jewish sites in Bucharest include the Choral Temple (Templul Coral), which has its own Holocaust memorial, as well as the Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum, all of which are situated in the old Jewish quarter, southwest of Bucharest’s old town.
