Memorial · Berlin · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin

Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism is a memorial in Berlin. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 8 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 750 m you'll find a bench, a public toilet, a water point and a bike pump.

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Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin

Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin, photo 2

Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin, photo 3

The story

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Audio tour · Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism

2:11

You're standing at the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism. It sits in the Tiergarten, just south of the Reichstag and close to the Brandenburg Gate. It's often quieter here than you'd expect in the middle of Berlin. That's exactly the point.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Partly accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

1 / 10

Photo: OTFW, Berlin · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

What you see at the memorial in Berlin

The memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin is a round pool with a black base, which makes the water look very deep. Israeli artist Dani Karavan saw it as a spring. In the middle lies a triangular stone, a reference to the triangular badges prisoners in the concentration camps had to wear on their clothing. A fresh flower always lies on the stone. When it wilts, the stone sinks into the water and rises again with a new flower. Walk slowly along the edge of the pool. There, in bronze letters, is the poem Auschwitz by Roma poet Santino Spinelli. It speaks of a sunken face, extinguished eyes, cold lips and silence. Information boards around the memorial show a timeline of the genocide, so take your time to read them.

Why the memorial in Berlin was created

The memorial was a long time coming. For years there was no fixed place to commemorate the Sinti and Roma murdered under National Socialism. In 1992 the government promised a monument, but disputes over the design and location followed for years. Berlin first wanted to build it in the Marzahn district, where hundreds of Sinti and Roma had been held under terrible conditions from 1936 onwards. In 2001 the choice fell on the site in the Tiergarten, close to other memorials. The design came from Dani Karavan. In October 2012 Angela Merkel and Joachim Gauck unveiled the monument together.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

The memorial is an easy place to take a break. The nearest bench is 30 metres away, by Großer Tiergarten, and there are 291 benches within 500 metres. The nearest public toilet is 109 metres away, also by Großer Tiergarten. It is free, always open and wheelchair accessible. There are 4 public toilets in total within 500 metres. The nearest drinking water point is 112 metres away, at Straße des 17. Juni. It is also the only drinking water point within 500 metres, so make sure you fill your bottle here. There is no bike pump within 500 metres. The nearest bike pump is 859 metres away, at Potsdamer Straße.

Walks and more to see nearby

The Reichstag Building is 145 metres from the memorial, and the Brandenburg Gate is 160 metres away. Both have an audio story you can listen to. If you want to keep walking, Potsdamer Platz is 907 metres on, and the Neue Nationalgalerie, a museum that also has an audio story, is 1,285 metres from the memorial. Checkpoint Charlie is 1,467 metres away, and it too has an audio story. The memorial has its own audio story of 2 minutes, which you can listen to on site in the Outdoor Pitstop app. It makes for a short walk past places that each tell part of the city's history.

Facilities near Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 8 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Reichstag Building · 140 m

Photo: Jörg Braukmann · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Brandenburg Gate · 160 m

Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Potsdamer Platz · 910 m

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Gendarmenmarkt · 1.2 km

Photo: Christoph Matthias Siebenborn · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Neue Nationalgalerie · 1.3 km

Photo: A.Savin · Wikimedia Commons · FALView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Reichstag Building on the spot with the app

All 760 points of interest in Berlin →

Also within walking distance

The 10 nearest points of interest with a story, within 2 km.

All 760 points of interest in Berlin →

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Photo: Bernd Schwabe in Hannover · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
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Walks within 2 km

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Cycle routes within 5 km

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More points of interest

Frequently asked questions

When was the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin built?

The memorial was built in 2012. In October 2012, Angela Merkel and Joachim Gauck unveiled it.

Who designed the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin?

Dani Karavan designed the memorial. He saw the round water basin with its black base as a source, where reflection is more important than struggle.

Where is the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin located?

The memorial is located in the Tiergarten in Berlin, directly opposite the Reichstag Building. The Brandenburg Gate is 160 metres away.

What does the triangular stone in the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin mean?

The triangular stone refers to the triangular badges that prisoners in the concentration camps had to wear on their clothing. A fresh flower always lies on it; if the flower has withered, the stone sinks into the water and rises again with a new flower.

How many Sinti and Roma were murdered during the Porajmos?

According to estimates, between 220,000 and 500,000 Sinti and Roma were murdered. The memorial commemorates this genocide.

Which poem is inscribed around the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin?

Around the edge of the basin, the poem "Auschwitz" by the Roma poet Santino Spinelli is inscribed in bronze letters. Information boards around the memorial show a timeline of the genocide.

Nearby

More well-known points of interest nearby

Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism in Berlin

The story

Opening hours and admission

Photos

What you see at the memorial in Berlin

Why the memorial in Berlin was created

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

Walks and more to see nearby

Facilities near Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism