Foundation of the
Esterwegen Memorial
In 2008, the Emsland district established the Esterwegen Memorial Foundation. The purpose of the non-profit foundation was to establish a memorial on the site of the former Esterwegen concentration and prison camp, as well as representing the other fourteen Emsland camps. In addition, the foundation was to ensure the day-to-day operation of the memorial.
The Emsland district contributed the site of the former Esterwegen camp and the adjoining areas of the former sports and railroad tracks, which were taken over by the Federal Republic of Germany in 2001 and 2006 respectively, as the foundation's capital.
At the constituent meeting of the foundation's board of directors on August 27, 2008 in Esterwegen, Hermann Bröring as acting district administrator took over the chairmanship of the foundation's board of directors. Dr. Andrea Kaltofen was appointed Managing Director.
Subsequently, the Emsland district contributed considerable funds to the construction of the Esterwegen Memorial, which was unveiled on October 31, 2011.
In accordance with the purpose of the foundation, the Emsland district has since ensured the day-to-day operation of the Esterwegen memorial site in a way that is unique in Germany by covering the material and personnel costs and, in this committed way, is facing up to its historical responsibility to commemorate and remember the Nazi crimes in the camps in the Emsland and Grafschaft Bentheim regions.
Dr. Andrea Kaltofen retired from her position as managing director at the end of 2020 for age-related reasons. Since January 1, 2021, Dr. Sebastian Weitkamp and Dr. des. Martin Koers have been managing directors of the foundation and heads of the Esterwegen Memorial.
Foundation Committees
Foundation Board
- Marc-André Burgdorf, Chairman; District Administrator Emsland District
- Heinz Thomes, Emsland District Council
- Inge Ipe, Emsland District Council
- Anno Immenga, Emsland District Council
Representatives of the above-mentioned persons are:
- Heinz-Hermann Hoppe, Emsland District Council
- Hartmut Moorkamp, Emsland District Council
- Tobias Munsch, Emsland District Council
Foundation Council
- Prof. Dr. Alfons Kenkmann, Chairman, University Leipzig
- Prof. Dr. Bernd Walter, Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe; University Muenster
- Dr. Elke Gryglewski, Managing Director of the Lower Saxony Memorials Foundation, Celle
- Ulrich Beckwermert, Vicar General Diocese Osnabrück
- Sabine Schiermeyer, Regional Bishop for the Evangelical Lutheran District of East Frisia-Ems
- Albrecht Pohle, Former Senior Ministerial Councillor
- Sabine Mithöfer, Second Chairwoman of the Action Committee for a Documentation and Information Center Emsland Camps e.V., Papenburg
- Holger Cosse, Emsland District Council
- Dieter Rothlübbers, Emsland District Council
- Heinz Dirksen, Emsland District Council
- Günter Buss, Emsland District Council
- Marion Terhalle, Emsland District Council
- Katharina Jansen-Hinrichs, Emsland District Council
- Dr. Andrea Kaltofen, Honorary member; Managing Director of the Esterwegen Memorial Foundation and Director of the Esterwegen Memorial 2008-2020
Expert Committee
- Prof. Dr. Bernd Walter, Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe; University Münster
- Prof. Dr. Alfons Kenkmann, University Leipzig
- Wilfried Wiedemann, Former Senior Government Director, Founding Director of the Lower Saxony Memorials Foundation
- Dr. Britta Albers, District Archivist, District Archive of the Emsland District
- Christian Lonnemann, District Archivist, District and Municipal Archives of the County of Grafschaft Bentheim
- Dr. Thomas Brakmann, Head of Department, Lower Saxony State Archives Osnabrück
Short guided tours:
Every 1st Sunday of the month, at 11am and 3pm. Please contact us in advance for a tour in English.