Esterwegen Memorial

Educational Programs

The Esterwegen Memorial with its visitor center is a historical place of learning about history. Persecution, exclusion, imprisonment, suffering and death in camps did not only take place “far away” during the Nazi era, but also in north-western Germany, close to the border with the Netherlands.

The prisoners who suffered in the Emsland camps, died here, experienced their liberation, were transferred to other places of detention or back to the front, came from many European countries. And many belonged to victim groups that had been “forgotten” for decades.

Not only persecution and terror, but also the politics, economy and ideology of National Socialism, the many complementary and contradictory links between the Nazi leadership and state, regional or local authorities, the acceptance and resistance of the population and, last but not least, the subjugation and resistance of the peoples of Europe can be vividly demonstrated and exemplified using the example of the Emsland camps.

The permanent educational program includes guided tours, study days, lectures and seminars. Project days, teacher training, youth work camps and excursions can be developed and offered in cooperation with schools and youth and adult education providers. The focus of the exhibitions and educational work is on the testimonies of former concentration camp inmates, prisoners and prisoners of war.