About This Resource
Umschreibung (Rewriting) is a public art installation in Saarbrücken, Germany created by artist Jochen Gerz. The work features a massive spiral staircase that appears to descend endlessly into the ground. The underside of each stair is paved with stones removed from the square above and inscribed with names of Jewish cemeteries destroyed by the Nazis. Visitors can descend partway before the stairs narrow and darken. The work is a powerful memorial and meditation on memory, history, and descent. It represents how stairs can serve as powerful symbolic and sculptural elements beyond functional use.
