Ground Zero Memorial was created after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is a memorial to the thousands of innocent men, women and children who were murdered in the horrific attacks of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001.
According to act-test-centers, the Ground Zero Memorial was erected on an area of 6.47 hectares, exactly where the World Trade Center buildings – Twin Towers stood. A new building complex, the new World Trade Center, is currently under construction.
Many visitors to Ney York come to the Ground Zero memorial to commemorate the victims of the attacks.
History of Ground Zero in New York
The original World Trade Center was a 65,000 m² commercial complex built between 1966 and 1987. It consisted of seven buildings. The “Twin Towers” were the centerpiece and, when completed, became the tallest buildings in the world. The North Tower and South Tower had a height of 417 meters (1,368 ft). The other buildings that make up the World Trade Center complex were constructed between 1975 and 1985.
After the World Trade Center suffered a fire on February 13, 1975, a bomb attack on February 26, 1993, and a robbery on January 14, 1998, it was decided in 1998 to privatize the World Trade Center.
But the worst blow came on September 11, 2001. 19 terrorists from the Islamist extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger planes in the morning. Two hijacked planes were piloted into the two twin towers of the World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania.
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed within two hours of hitting the planes. The collapse of the towers spread dust throughout New York City, bringing hundreds of thousands of tons of debris. Almost 3,000 people died. After the attacks, the area was referred to as ” Ground Zero “. The clearing of the remains lasted until May 2002.
Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Governor George Pataki, and then-President George W. Bush decided to rebuild the World Trade Center. There have been many redesigns of the World Trade Center. Then in 2002 there was a World Trade Center site design competition which Daniel Libeskind won.
Tribute in Light – World Trade Center light monument
To commemorate the victims of the attack, the light monument Tribute in Light consisting of 88 spotlights was installed. Originally it was only supposed to shine next to the former World Trade Center site Ground Zero from March 11 to April 14, 2002. However, it continued to be activated for one night each anniversary until 2011.
Towers of the new World Trade Center in New York
Tower One World Trade Center
Ground Zero is currently under construction as the new World Trade Center, a new building complex with a memorial. Construction began in 2006 and final completion is planned for December 2014. It is a 104-story skyscraper with a height of 1,368 feet (417 m), the height of the original World Trade Center North Tower. The building’s antenna rises to the symbolic height of 1,776 feet (541 m). Its height relates to the year 1776, the year the United States signed the Declaration of Independence.
Until March 2009, the building was called Freedom Tower, but was then renamed One World Trade Center.
Tower Two World Trade Center
Tower 2, or 200 Greenwich Street, is the second building of the complex and will have 88 floors and will be 411 meters high. It will be the second tallest building in New York and is expected to be completed after 2016.
Tower Three World Trade Center
Three World Trade Center, also known as 175 Greenwich Street, will be an 80-story tower that will be 357 meters tall. It will be completed in 2016 at the earliest.
Tower Four World Trade Center
Four World Trade Center or 150 Greenwich Street was completed in 2013. It has 72 floors and is 297 meters high.
World Trade Center Memorial
The World Trade Center Memorial is the centerpiece of the complex encircled by the towers. It consists of a museum and a memorial to the 2,749 victims of the attacks. Large pools were built on the site of the Twin Towers, in which water flows, the pools are surrounded by trees. It opened in parts in 2011.
Tower 7 World Trade Center
The 7 World Trade Center was opened in 2006, it was the first building to be completed. With 52 floors, the tower is 228 meters high. It is not located directly on the Ground Zero site but on a site a little to the north.
Ground Zero Memorial and Museum
The 9/11 Memorial was opened on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. The “Reflecting Absence” memorial honors the victims of the September 11 attacks and the 1993 bombing. The memorial was created by Peter Walker and Israeli-American architect Michael Arad.
The memorial consists of two pools of water in the “footprints” of the original twin towers. Through 9 m high waterfalls from the edge of the pool, the water falls into the pools and from there into the middle of the pools, an empty space. The names of the victims, almost 3,000 of them, are engraved on bronze bands at the edge of the pool.
The Ground Zero Memorial is surrounded by more than 400 oak trees. The exception is a Chinese wild pear, also known as a survivor tree. After September 11, workers in the rubble at Ground Zero found the damaged tree with its roots snapped and broken branches burned. The tree was then nursed back to health in a park in New York City and grew to a height of 30 feet. In 2010, the Survivor Tree was brought back to Ground Zero. Today the tree stands as a living symbol of resilience, survival and rebirth.
Ground Zero Museum in New York Manhattan
In 2004 the development of a museum complex began. The Ground Zero Museum serves as a memorial, museum, and visitor center. The historical exhibition consists of three parts: the day of 9/11, the day before and after and its effects. There are personal artifacts, first-hand accounts and multimedia demonstrations.
It tells the story of what happened on September 11th, including the events at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the story of Flight 93. The exhibit examines the background to the events and their aftermath.
Find souvenirs and memorabilia at the 9/11 Memorial Museum Store. Visit the Shop 11/09 Memorial Museum in Vesey near the World Trade Center. Admission is free.
Directions & Getting to Ground Zero Memorial
The memorial and museum is located at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The entire memorial site is bordered by Vesey Street to the north, the West Side Highway to the west, Liberty Street to the south, and Church Street to the east.
Access to the memorial is at the intersection of Liberty and Greenwich Streets, at the intersection of Liberty and West Streets, and at the intersection of West and Fulton Streets.
To get to Ground Zero in New York, it is recommended to use public transport. You can find the current connections here.
Ground Zero Memorial & Museum opening hours
The New York Ground Zero Memorial is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The 11/9 Memorial Museum is open daily from 8 a.m. Closing times vary depending on the season.
An average visit lasts about two hours.
Ground Zero Memorial Address:
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
200 Liberty St
New York, NY 10006
United States
//www.911memorial.org
