Holocaust memorial in Berlin: Vandals trample flowers

Vandals trampled floral tributes and a book left at a Berlin Holocaust memorial, police said Sunday.

They said an inquiry has been opened.

The monument consists of a reflecting stainless steel wall with the names of Berlin-area Jews imprisoned by the Nazis etched into it.

Though flowers are not usual at Jewish funerals, bouquets are often left at the site.

The 10-meter-long memorial at Steglitz is close to a former synagogue and was erected in 1995.

The damage, presumably done during the night, was discovered early Sunday.

Vandalism to Holocaust memorials is treated in Germany as a
crime against democracy. (Haaretz)