Dokumentations- und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Sinti und Roma

About the museum

The Documentation and Cultural Center emerged from the civil rights movement of the German Sinti and Roma and works closely with the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma (Zentralrat Deutscher Sinti und Roma). Its home is a listed 18th-century merchant's house on a triangular lot in the Old Town below the castle, which was converted for its new use.

On March 16, 1997, Federal President Roman Herzog opened the permanent exhibition, which, covering around 700 square meters, was the first of its kind to present the genocide of the Sinti and Roma under National Socialism – from exclusion and registration to ghettoization and deportation to extermination. Family photos, biographies, and survivors' testimonies give the persecuted a face and a voice.

Since 1998, a traveling version has toured Germany and Europe, and in 2001 a permanent exhibition was created together with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Block 13 of the former main camp. Funded by the federal government and the state of Baden-Württemberg, the center also researches the roughly 600-year history of the minority, maintains a public specialist library, offers educational programs against antigypsyism, and has awarded the European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma since 2007. An award-winning 2021 design for an extension building is the subject of controversial debate in Heidelberg.

Highlights

• World's first permanent exhibition on the Nazi genocide of the Sinti and Roma
• Family photos, biographies, and survivors' testimonies
• Listed merchant's house in Heidelberg's Old Town
• Public specialist library on the history and culture of the minority
• Free guided tours and workshops, audio guides in five languages

Permanent exhibitions

• Der nationalsozialistische Völkermord an den Sinti und Roma – On display since 1997, the permanent exhibition uses family photos, documents, and life stories to trace the path from exclusion to extermination in the camps.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Dokumentations- und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Sinti und Roma (in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Zentralrat Deutscher Sinti und Roma; gefördert von BKM und Land Baden-Württemberg)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission; groups are asked to register by email.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Accessible according to the website; no further details given on elevator or restrooms.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

Documentation center on the genocide of the Sinti and Roma; workshops for school classes from 9th grade, no dedicated family programs mentioned.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Bicycle parking in the courtyard. Public specialist library on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit