European memorial site
Esterwegen Memorial
The Esterwegen Memorial is a European memorial site that commemorates the 15 Emsland camps and their victims. The camps had different functions as concentration camps, penal camps and prisoner-of-war camps.
The Esterwegen Memorial sets an example against dictatorship, politics of violence and terror, against nationalism and racism. It calls for a commitment to human rights, the rule of law and democracy.
Visitor Center
The visitor center houses the permanent exhibition, two areas with travelling exhibitions, seminar rooms, a library, an archive and a cafeteria. The library offers workstations for researching the archive and library holdings. Snacks can be taken in the cafeteria using self-service coin-operated vending machines.
The visitor center is housed in two storage halls built in the 1970s at the former Bundeswehr depot, which are connected by a foyer. Visitors will find a quiet room in the adjoining monastery on the grounds of the memorial.
Exhibitions
The main exhibition documents the history of the Emsland camps from 1933-1945 and presents the events chronologically in the context of the history of the “Third Reich”, including the regional references. The focus of the exhibition is set on the experiences of the prisoners working in the moor as well as their life and suffering in the camps.
The secondary exhibition deals with the subsequent history of the Emsland camps, which is to be understood as a complex process that went through various phases and continues to this day. Two additional areas regularly host traveling exhibitions.
The Exterior Site
The landscaping reveals traces of the former camp and translates parts of the camp topography that are no longer visible, which stand for violence and threat, into a modern stylistic idiom (steel elements).
The locations of the former barracks are visualized by “tree packages”.
Covering the former prisoner area with lava is intended to suggest a reddish-brown moor landscape.
A steel walkway connects the historical site of the Esterwegen camp with a neighboring moor, which is representative of the site of the heavy forced labor.
Short guided tours:
Every 1st Sunday of the month, at 11am and 3pm. Please contact us in advance for a tour in English.