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15 Holocaust Sites, Museums and Memorials to Visit

Explore the harrowing events and effects of the holocaust through these important sites, museums and memorials around the world..

Harry Sherrin

21 sep 2021.

Between 1942 and 1945, the Nazis embarked upon the so-called ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Question’, a systematic program of extermination. In concentration camps across Europe, 6 million Jewish people were killed – around 78% of all Jews in occupied Europe.

The Holocaust was the most widespread and industrialised act of genocide the world has ever seen.

Today, that devastating moment in modern history is remembered in sites, museums and memorials across the globe. Here are 15 of the most significant, where visitors can learn more about the history of the Holocaust.

1. Yad Vashem

Yad Vashem in Jerusalem is a museum and a memorial of the Holocaust, in which over six million Jews, and at least five million from other ethnic groups, were murdered in an act of genocide perpetrated by the German National Socialist Party under Adolph Hitler .

Through exhibits including photographs, victims’ accounts, art installations and information panels, Yad Vashem offers a moving – and harrowing – account of the events of the Holocaust.

2. Anne Frank’s House

Anne Frank’s house was the site where German Jewish teenager and Holocaust victim Anne Frank , her family, the van Pels family and later a man called Fritz Pfeffer went into hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Tragically, the group’s whereabouts were betrayed to the Nazis and they were arrested and imprisoned in concentration camps. Anne Frank died in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, but her diary was later discovered by her father and published to worldwide acclaim.

Anne Frank’s House is now a museum allowing visitors to see the moving bookcase, walk through the cramped secret annex and gain a true appreciation of the hardship this group endured in their fight for survival. The museum has collected and exhibits many original letters, photos and objects belonging to the Frank family as well as to the van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer. Anne Frank’s original diary is also on display.

3. United States Holocaust Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC is dedicated to commemorating the Holocaust. Combining eyewitness testimony, displayed in films and documents, with over 900 artefacts including one of the railcars used to transport prisoners, the Holocaust Museum tells the story of this world event.

The museum also looks at the issue of genocide as a whole, displaying exhibitions about other atrocities around the world. On average, a tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum takes between 2 and 3 hours.

4. Auschwitz Concentration Camp

Auschwitz Birkenau was a concentration camp founded by the Nazis near the town of Oświęcim or ‘Auschwitz’ in Poland . It became the largest and most infamous camp of them all, central to Hitler’s campaign to exterminate the Jews. By the time Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet forces on 27 January 1945, the camp had claimed 1.3 million lives, the vast majority of whom were Jewish.

Auschwitz Museum is based at the original concentration camp site and offers visitors the chance to pass through the camp’s infamous arches bearing the chilling slogan of “Arbeit macht frei” or “Work will set you free”. Inside, visitors can tour Auschwitz Birkenau individually or in group tours.

5. The Holocaust Memorial - Berlin

The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is an installation commemorating the genocide of the Jewish people perpetrated under Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. The Memorial is a monument to the six million European Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Made up of a vast dark granite maze and a subterranean information centre which has details about the victims, the memorial is a moving site.

6. Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was used by the Nazis between 1936 and 1945. Its primary function was for the imprisonment and execution – or extermination – of Jews and political dissidents, including many Dutch freedom fighters, Russian prisoners of war and even some political leaders from invaded countries.

Estimates put the number of Sachsenhausen casualties at between 30,000 and 35,000, many of whom were shot, hung or exterminated in a specially built room in its infirmary. Much of Sachsenhausen was destroyed during and after its liberation by Soviet and Polish troops on 22 April 1945, but was rebuilt as part of the project to turn it into a memorial and museum.

7. Warsaw Ghetto

The Warsaw Ghetto was established by the Nazis to forcibly house the city’s Jewish population, with up to 400,000 people confined here from October 1940. In 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising took place, a dramatic rebellion which occurred when the Nazis attempted to liquidate the ghetto and one which saw it razed to the ground.

Very little of the Warsaw Ghetto survives today. There are fragments of the original ghetto wall and several memorials including the Mila 18 monument where the uprising headquarters were located and an inscription where insurgent leader Mordechaj Anielewicz and the last of the uprising fighters perished. There is also the Warsaw Ghetto Fighters Monument and a monument at Umschlagplatz , the site from where Jews were transported to the death camps .

8. Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz

The Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz was the site of the infamous Wannsee Conference in which the Nazis planned how to carry out the “Final Solution”, the plan to murder the Jewish population of Eastern Europe.

Today, the site provides a moving memorial to the Holocaust as well as an in-depth history of the rise of the Nazi party, the growth of anti-Semitism and the atrocities committed against the Jews.

9. Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau Concentration Camp was one of the first of many concentration camps set up by the Nazis to imprison and murder certain groups as part of their campaign of genocide.

Today, Dachau houses a memorial to those who suffered and perished under the Nazis. Visitors can tour the grounds and the remains of the camp and audio guides are available as are guided tours. There are several exhibitions detailing the history of the camp as well as a documentary shown at various times.

10. Jewish Museum - Berlin

The Jewish Museum in Berlin in Germany chronicles the history of German Jews over the course of two millennia. Housed in an incredibly modern building, the Berlin Jewish Museum displays historical objects, documents, photographs, multimedia presentations and even computer games relating to different periods of Jewish history and culture.

The exhibitions are arranged chronologically and cover various themes such as the living conditions of German Jews over the centuries, the role of Jewish women, tradition and change and the meaning of emancipation. The museum also looks at the issue of persecution, in particular during the Nazi era and the Holocaust, offering an insight into both the overall historical context and the lives of individual victims of the atrocities.

11. Theresienstadt Concentration Camp

Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Terezin in the Czech Republic was a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Theresienstadt was originally an 18th-century stronghold known as Terezin Fortress. It was taken over during the Nazi occupation of the then Czechoslovakia in World War Two. Some 30,000 prisoners died at the camp, despite Nazi attempts to portray it as a humane institution.

Today, Theresienstadt Concentration Camp is open to the public and includes a museum as well as the possibility of visiting the former ghetto.

12. Krakow Ghetto Wall

Krakow Ghetto Wall is a stark reminder of the Krakow Ghetto, established by German Nazi forces in March 1941 as part of their campaign to persecute the Jews. Much of the Jewish population had already been conscripted to carry out forced labour since 1939, when the Nazis occupied Poland. In 1942, Krakow Ghetto was closed and all of its inhabitants were sent to concentration camps.

Some inhabitants of Krakow Ghetto were saved during the War by Oskar Schindler, whose famous Schindler’s List was made into a film by Hollywood director, Stephen Spielberg. Now, the Ghetto Wall, flanked by a former ghetto home, is the last remaining wall of those which once bordered Krakow Ghetto. The Ghetto Wall bears a plaque commemorating Krakow Ghetto.

13. Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Mauthausen Concentration Camp or ’KZ Mauthausen’ was a vast Nazi concentration camp in northern Austria. First established in 1938, Mauthausen Concentration Camp was built through the slave labour of prisoners from another such camp, Dachau. Over 119,000 of the almost 200,000 prisoners at Mauthausen Concentration Camp had died there by the time it was liberated by American forces on 5 May 1945.

Today, Mauthausen Concentration Camp is open to the public, who can see the original camp and the terrible conditions to which prisoners were subjected. There is a visitor centre and many memorials to the different national, ethnic and religious groups who suffered at Mauthausen.

14. Burgkloster

The Burgkloster (Castle Monastery) in Lubeck is considered to be one of the most important medieval monasteries in Germany. Established in 1229, the Burgkloster served as a monastery until the Protestant Reformation, after which it was used as a poorhouse until the 19th century. Under the Third Reich, the Burgkloster was used as a Nazi prison, bearing witness to terrible atrocities, particularly against Jews and those who formed the resistance movement.

Today, the Burgkloster is a museum of Lubeck’s history. Visitors can tour the building as well as viewing exhibits on the history of Lubeck’s Jewish community and about Lubeck’s time as an important member of the Hanseatic League. This was a medieval trade block which controlled much of the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

15. Tolerence Center

The Tolerence Center is one branch of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. A permanent exhibit operates at the Tolerance Center featuring the historical cultural and artistic heritage of the Litvaks, the Jewish community in Lithuania.

The displays include unique relics of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius and Jewish folk and professional art. The non-permanent exhibits, thematic events and projects are oriented toward themes including the cultural education of society, social dissemination of culture, unique cultural heritage and fundamental human rights.

Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

Bergen-Belsen was a POW and concentration camp in northern Germany where more than 70,000 people died during World War II.

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Niedersachsen

Bergen-Belsen was originally a large training site for Wehrmacht armoured troops and a barracks complex near the towns of Bergen and Belsen on the Lüneburg Heath. [1] The camp was initially not a labour or extermination camp - there were no gas chambers - and served as a POW camp and 'exchange camp'. From May 1940 , French, Belgian, Soviet, and other allied soldiers and resistance fighters from many different countries were imprisoned in the camp. [2]

In April 1943 , the SS took over a large area of the POW camp from the Wehrmacht to set up the Aufenthaltslager Bergen-Belsen, which housed Jews who could be exchanged with German POWs abroad; something that in the end hardly ever happened. [3]

The Sternlager was part of the Austauschlager and consisted of about eighteen barrack huts in which many Dutch Jews were imprisoned. In the Sternlager, families were improsoned together and, for a time, conditions were relatively better than in other camps. [3]

Durchgangslager

In the summer of 1944 , Bergen-Belsen also became a Durchgangslager (transit camp) for thousands of women from occupied parts of Eastern Europe who had been transported for forced labour to German sub-camps. In early August 1944, a tent camp was set up on an open plain in the south-west corner of the camp to accommodate the large deportations arriving from mid-August 1944 . [4]

Over time, conditions deteriorated throughout the camp. Under camp commander Josef Kramer, who had been transferred from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen on 2 December 1944 , the harsh regime hardened even further. Due to overcrowding, ill-treatment, hunger, the cold winter and infectious diseases, Bergen-Belsen eventually became a place where the Nazis brought Jews only to have them die because of the poor conditions there. [5]

Of the approximately 120,000 prisoners, more than 72,000 perished. Among these were Anne and Margot Frank, who were imprisoned in the camp from 3 November 1944  .

• ^ See: Wikipedia: Bergen-Belsen concentration camp .
• ^ Bas von Benda-Beckmann,  Na het Achterhuis. Anne Frank en de andere onderduikers in de kampen , Amsterdam: Querido, 2020, p. 119.
• a , b Von Benda-Beckmann,  Na het Achterhuis , p. 220-221.
• ^ Von Benda-Beckmann,  Na het Achterhuis, p. 222.
• ^ Von Benda-Beckmann,  Na het Achterhuis , p. 224-225.

79th Anniversary of the Liberation

Visit of survivors 2022, directions and opening hours, informationen zu barrierefreiheit, sonderausstellungen, historical grounds of the camp, learning center m.b. 89, historical sites in the surrounding area, guided tours, belsen military base (1935-1945), the pow camp (1940-1945), the concentration camp (1943-1945), the displaced persons camp (1945-1950), the prosecution of the perpetrators, place of remembrance, the dead of the bergen belsen concentration camp, education & encounters, guided tours for registered groups, digitale bildungsangebote, international summer school, spring school: education and remembrance, antisemitismus und diskriminierung im sport, consultation for external educational institutions, research & documentation, list of names, witness interviews.

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Monuments and memorial markers

The victims of the POW and concentration camp are commemorated by a variety of memorial markers from different time periods. The first was a wooden monument placed by Jewish survivors in the autumn of 1945; the stone successor to this monument still stands today. It is surrounded by monuments placed by friends and relatives of the victims, including a gravestone for the sisters Anne and Margot Frank, who were buried in one of the mass graves. Polish survivors unveiled a wooden cross on the Catholic holiday of All Souls’ Day in November 1945.

The obelisk, which can be seen from afar, and the inscription wall were both erected on the orders of the British military government and dedicated in February 1952.Today this wall bears inscriptions from many of the nations who lost citizens in Bergen-Belsen, as well as inscriptions in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Latin. Words commemorating the Sinti victims of Bergen-Belsen were added in 1981.

A walk-in monument known as the House of Silence was erected outside of the grounds of the former camp in 2000.

Archaeological finds

Structural remains from the former camp can be found in many areas, including foundations and flooring from the huts, paved paths, fire water reservoirs, and latrine shafts. Most of these remains are located in the eastern section of the grounds. In the landscaped western section – near the obelisk – structural remains were removed in the post-war period.

In 1991, youth groups in Lower Saxony began excavating these remnants. The forward section of the former camp, on the road from Winsen/Aller to Bergen, did not officially become part of the Memorial until 2009.The foundation walls of a prisoner delousing facility, among other things, were found near the former main camp gate on this road. They were protected and reinforced in 2016.

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Concentration Camps You Can Visit In Germany

by Original Berlin Tours | Mar 7, 2024 | Concentration Camp

Germany has a long and dark history when it comes to the Holocaust and World War II. During this time, concentration camps were set up to imprison, torture, and even execute Jews, Roma, and other groups of people who were deemed undesirable by the Nazi regime.

Today, there are several concentration camps in Germany that are open to the public for visiting. These camps serve as a reminder of the atrocities that were committed during the Holocaust, and they offer a unique opportunity to learn more about the history of this dark period in German history.

In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the concentration camps you can visit in Germany today. We’ll examine their history, what they offer to visitors, and how you can go about planning a visit.

What Are Concentration Camps?

Before we dive into the concentration camps you can visit in Germany today, it’s important to understand exactly what these camps were and why they were created. Concentration camps were created by Nazi Germany during World War II to imprison Jews, Roma, and other groups of people deemed undesirable by the Nazi regime.

The conditions in these camps were typically harsh, with prisoners facing overcrowding, poor sanitation, and malnutrition. Some concentration camps also included gas chambers and execution sites, where prisoners would be put to death by gas or other methods.

The Nazis used these camps as a way to control people deemed “undesirable” by their regime, while also attempting to force Jews into emigration or extermination. Ultimately, it is estimated that over 6 million Jews were killed in concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Dachau Concentration Camp

The Dachau concentration camp is one of the best-known concentration camps in Germany. It was established in 1933 and was one of the first concentration camps set up by the Nazi regime. Over 200,000 prisoners from various countries were held in Dachau during World War II.

Today, the Dachau concentration camp is open to visitors and offers daily guided tours. Visitors can learn more about the history of the camp, its conditions during World War II, and the fate of its prisoners. The camp also has a permanent exhibition which explains the history of the camp and its inmates.

Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

Bergen-Belsen was originally a prisoner of war camp but was later converted into a concentration camp. It was initially used as a staging area for prisoners of war before they were sent to other concentration camps. However, over time the camp began accepting Jews and other “undesirables” from other countries as well.

By 1945, the camp had become overcrowded and was rife with disease. In April of that year, British forces liberated the camp and began providing medical aid to the prisoners. However, it is estimated that over 70,000 prisoners had died in Bergen-Belsen by that time.

Today, visitors can take a guided tour of the camp and visit its museum which features photographs and artifacts from the time period. Additionally, visitors can explore the remains of the camp’s barracks and its surrounding area.

Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Mauthausen was one of the largest concentration camps in Germany during World War II. It was built in 1938 near Linz, Austria and was used to hold political prisoners and Jews from across Europe.

Prisoners in Mauthausen faced harsh conditions such as forced labor and malnutrition, leading to high rates of death among inmates. It is estimated that over 100,000 people died in Mauthausen during World War II.

Today, visitors can take a guided tour of Mauthausen which includes visits to various parts of the camp such as its barracks and crematoriums. The tour also includes a visit to the memorial site which commemorates all those who died in the camp.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen was one of the first concentration camps set up by the Nazi regime in 1936 near Berlin. It was initially used to house political prisoners but later expanded to include Jews and others deemed undesirable by the Nazi regime.

Sachsenhausen was also one of the most brutal camps with prisoners facing torture, forced labor, and starvation. It is estimated that over 30,000 people died in Sachsenhausen during World War II.

Today, Sachsenhausen is open to visitors who can take a guided tour which includes visits to various parts of the camp such as its barracks and crematoriums. Additionally, visitors can explore its museum which features exhibits on the history of Sachsenhausen and its inmates.

Planning Your Visit To A Concentration Camp

If you’re interested in visiting one of these concentration camps in Germany, there are a few things you should consider before planning your trip.

First off, it’s important to research each camp before you decide which one to visit. Each camp has its own unique history and offerings for visitors, so it’s important to choose a camp that best suits your interests and goals for your trip. Additionally, each camp has different opening hours so you should plan your visit accordingly.

It’s also important to keep in mind that visiting a concentration camp can be an emotional experience for many people. It’s important to be respectful while visiting these sites and be mindful that many visitors may be there to remember the victims of these atrocities rather than sightsee or take pictures.

Finally, it’s important to keep safety in mind when planning your visit to a concentration camp. Make sure you’re aware of any potential dangers such as unstable structures or wild animals before you enter any part of the camp. Additionally, many concentration camps still have unexploded bombs so it’s important to stay on marked paths when exploring them.

Visiting one of Germany’s concentration camps is a unique opportunity to learn more about this dark period in history and remember those who suffered under Nazi rule. Before planning your visit to a concentration camp, it’s important to research each one and make sure you’re aware of any potential dangers before entering them.

By visiting these sites today, we can ensure that this dark chapter of history is never forgotten and help educate future generations on the horrors that occurred during this time period.

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I would like to pay may respect to all of the victims and their families before I leave this world. It’s just something that I feel strongly about. I’m not sure if I’m conveying that correctly. Thank you.

I don’t think there is an easy way to see theses atrocities but I can understand how you are feeling I’m going in geb to a camp and I feel the same way history is very unkind sometimes

Monrovia Liberia

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Mar 7, 2024

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Cologne: Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp Private 1-Day Tour

Take a visit to Gedenkstaette Bergen-Belsen, a memorial at the site of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. Explore the dark times of WWII on a 1-Day tour with private transportation and a 5-Stars Guide.

• Explore Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp Memorial and learn in depth about Nazi terror and its evil machinery
• Experience the tour with a knowledgeable 5-Star Guide speaking fluently the language chosen during reservation
• Travel back in time to the somber times of WWII and learn about existence in concentration camp
• Be comfortably picked-up and dropped-off at your accomodation place by a private professional driver
• Have the content tailored to your interests and expectations, as this is a private tour

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Take a tour to Gedenkstaette Bergen-Belsen, a memorial at the site of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. Between 1942 and 1945, thousands of people from all over Europe died here. Among others Anna Frank, Dutch Jewish girl who documented the tragic fate of Jews during WWII in her unique memories. The memorial and its museum feature photographs and videos of the survivors, as well as written stories.

You will be comfortably picked-up from your accomodation place in Cologne. The drive to Bergen-Belsen takes over 3-hours. During that time the Private Guide on board will give you the introduction to the tour. This is a unique opportunity to take advantage of a professional and passionate Guide on board. Lunch break will be arranged according to your preferences and taking into account the schedule.

During the approximately 3,5-hours tour in the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp you will follow the “”stony path”” and the Professional Guide will show you the documentation centre and the roll calls square. You will hear the story about the “”Star Camp””. As you walk, you will see large silent mounds, which mark mass burial sites. Continuing the walk you will see the original Camp Road, foundation of Barracks and SS Camp location. The Guide will tell you many facts and stories about the history of the Camp, prisoners, everyday life there and how the place was organised and managed.

After completing the tour you will be safely driven back to your accomodation place by a professional driver. This will be an opportunity to learn even more from the knowledgeable guide and have answered any questions triggered during the tour.

Choose a fully guided option to have all time company of Professional 5-Stars Guide, including “”on the road”” Sightseeing with your Guide’s narrative. You will be comfortably picked-up and dropped-off at your accommodation place in Cologne.

Choose the Local Professional Guide option if you prefer to have the Guide just in the Bergen-Belsen Memorial. The Private Professional Guide will meet you there for this engaging and informative 3,5-hours walking tour. You will be comfortably picked-up and dropped-off at your accommodation place.

• Private tour to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp
• 5-Stars Guide with Official License speaking fluently in language chosen during reservation
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