Erinnerungsort Torgau. Justizunrecht – Diktatur – Widerstand

About the museum

In the Second World War Torgau was a centre of Wehrmacht justice: with Fort Zinna and the Brückenkopf it had two military prisons, and in 1943 the Reich Court Martial arrived from Berlin. After the end of the war the Soviet secret service used Fort Zinna and the neighbouring Seydlitz barracks as Special Camps No. 8 and No. 10; from 1950 to 1990 Fort Zinna was a GDR prison, holding political prisoners above all in the 1950s and 1960s and, until 1975, young people as well.

To document this history, a support association for a Documentation and Information Centre (DIZ) Torgau was founded in 1991. Since 1999 the institution has worked under the umbrella of the Saxon Memorials Foundation. Since Fort Zinna is still used as a prison today, the exhibition found its place in Hartenfels Castle; the former permanent exhibition “Spuren des Unrechts” (Traces of Injustice) was opened in three parts between 1996 and 2004.

With the redesign of the permanent exhibition in 2024, the site was given the name “Erinnerungsort Torgau. Justizunrecht – Diktatur – Widerstand” (Torgau Place of Remembrance. Judicial Injustice – Dictatorship – Resistance). The new show “Mut und Ohnmacht” (Courage and Powerlessness) puts the persecuted at the centre – deserters and resisters of the Nazi era, internees of the special camps and political prisoners of the SED dictatorship – and lets former prisoners and relatives speak in interviews. The place of remembrance also includes memorial sites in front of Fort Zinna and on the grounds of the Brückenkopf.

Key themes

• Permanent exhibition “Mut und Ohnmacht” in Hartenfels Castle
• Three experiences of dictatorship in one place: Nazi military justice, special camps, GDR imprisonment
• Interviews with witnesses: former prisoners and relatives
• Freely accessible memorial site in front of Fort Zinna
• Free admission, barrier-free access

Permanent exhibition

• Mut und Ohnmacht – Permanent exhibition on persecution and political imprisonment in Torgau, from Nazi military justice through the Soviet special camps to the GDR prison system, with objects, media stations and witness interviews.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten zur Erinnerung an die Opfer politischer Gewaltherrschaft

Director

Elisabeth Kohlhaas

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the permanent exhibition is free.

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

According to the foundation, the memorial and exhibition are accessible without barriers; exhibition in wing B, 3rd floor.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

The educational programmes are aimed at pupils from Year 8.

Getting there & parking

By car via the B87, B182 or B183. The place of remembrance lies on the Elbe Cycle Route.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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