Getty Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Germany, the architect of the Berlin Holocaust memorial warned

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Peter Eisenman believes an increase in xenophobia means his 4.7 acre memorial to the Second World War genocide of Jewish people could not be re-built today. The renowned American architect told German newspaper Die Zeit: "The social climate has changed. Much of what was long considered to be acceptable is now being questioned." The memorial in Berlin was only opened 11 years ago, but Mr Eisenman said the current climate in Germany and America has changed so much he believes the structure would cause a furore today.

Much of what was long considered to be acceptable is now being questioned Peter Eisenman

Last year politically motivated crimes increased by 19 per cent in Germany compared to the year before. More than 1,000 attacks were on refugee homes, up from 199 in 2014. In Berlin there was also an increase in anti-Semitic crimes last year, according to hate crime monitoring groups in the city.

Getty Peter Eisenman said xenophobia is so bad now he could not build the memorial

And a study by Berlin's Free University revealed anti-Semitic feelings are being experienced across the political spectrum. The report found 34 per cent of "extreme left" members expressed negative views about Jewish people. Mr Eisenman was chosen to design the Holocaust memorial after winning a design competition in 1997.

The structure consists of 2,711 concrete slabs of the same length and width, but of varying heights, in a grid formation which visitors can walk through. The memorial has been criticised and called "disrespectful "for not naming individual victims and for its open uncontrolled format which means social media users often take Tinder profile selfies and gamers can "catch" Pokemon at the memorial.

Getty The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe spans over 4.7acres in Berlin

Getty The Holocaust Memorial is a major monument in central Berlin

Mr Eisenman also spoke about his experiences with US Presidential candidate Donald Trump. He said: "In the 1980s, when I was in the office with architect Jaque Robertson, Trump came by and said 'hey, I want you to design some towers here in Manhattan'.

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"We then did this and should have gotten $100,000 for the plans. "But then he said 'I don't want that and I'm not going to pay you all either'." Mr Eisenman, who has taught at Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and Princeton universities, also spoke about Mr Trump's other building designs.