Steps away was Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, notable for what was missing rather than what remained. The grand church was built between 1891 and 1895 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany’s ruler during my parents’ growing-up years. He resigned after Germany’s defeat in World War 1, but his church is most notable for the destruction it suffered during World War 2. Its nave was burned and eventually razed, but its spire remained standing. Germans chose to leave the heavily damaged tower as a permanent reminder of the horrors of war. Inside the memorial hall, the stunning curved ceiling mosaic is testimony to its former glory. Even here, the Nazis’ horrific legacy left its mark: Over 40 Christians baptized in the parish were considered Jewish under the Nuremburg Laws; they were deported and murdered. The youngest was 8 years old, the oldest 79.
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