Bern to host new Holocaust memorial ‘unfolded minute’

A new memorial dedicated to the victims of National Socialism, titled ‘unfolded minute’, will be constructed on the Casinoterrasse in Bern, Switzerland. The project, which won an international competition, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.

The centerpiece of the memorial is a 60-meter-long folded steel wall designed to represent the Swiss border. This design choice references the historical reality of the border for those fleeing Nazi persecution, noting that while some found refuge in Switzerland, many others were turned away.

In addition to its visual form, the memorial will incorporate an auditory element. Small hammers will strike integrated metal tongues to produce a one-minute sequence of sounds several times per hour. This serves as an inversion of a traditional minute of silence, with each sequence intended to represent a unique melody for an individual victim. The sound sequences are designed to be mathematically non-repeating over a vast period of time.