How can we best honor our dead? Should we pay tribute with realistic sculptures of our heroes? Or, will the monument be more meaningful and profound if we choose abstract forms?
Often the most powerful memorials — the monuments that stir strong emotion — are surrounded with controversy. The memorials listed here show various ways architects and designers have chosen to honor heroes, respond to tragedies, or commemorate important events.
World War II Monments and Memorials:
- The National WWII Memorial, Washington DC
- The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA
- Iwo Jima Memorial
- World War I Memorial Washington DC
September 11 Monuments and Memorials:
Holocaust Memorials:
- The Berlin Holocaust Memorial
- Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum in Jerusalem
- New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston
- Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC
- The Holocaust - Memorial at Legion of Honor in San Francisco
- Holocaust Memorials in Germany
Vietnam War Monuments and Memorials:
- The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington DC
- The Vietnam Veterans Statue Washington D.C.
- Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial Frankfort, Kentucky
Korean War Monuments and Memorials:
- Korean War Memorial Washington DC
Monuments to Leaders:
- Martin Luther King Memorial Washington DC
- Martin Luther King Center Atlanta, Georgia
- Martin Luther King Memorial Seattle, Washington
- Washington Monument Washington DC
- Lincoln Memorial Washington DC
- Jefferson Memorial Washington DC
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Washinton DC
- Lenin's Mausoleum Moscow, Russia
More Military Memorials:
- Tomb of the Unknowns Arlington National Cemetery, VA
- Civil War Unknowns Monument Arlington National Cemetery, VA
- The Women In Military Service For America Memorial Arlington National Cemetery, VA
- Air Force Memorial Arlington, VA
Monuments and Memorials Around the World:
- Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France
- Monument of Light, Dublin, Ireland
- Australian War Memorial Canberra
- War Memorial Neue Wache Berlin
