Gedenkhalle der Stadt Oberhausen

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Gedenkhalle opened on September 2, 1962, and has since operated as a municipal institution commemorating the victims of National Socialism. By its own account, it is the oldest continuously operating memorial to the Nazi era in West Germany. From the beginning, it was also intended as a meeting place for young people. It is housed in a side wing of Schloss Oberhausen, which itself was not a site of Nazi persecution.

Over the decades there have been three permanent exhibitions; the current one was installed in 2010. It traces the history of the city between 1933 and 1945, from the Gleichschaltung (enforced conformity) and the persecution of political opponents to the murder of the Jewish population and of Sinti and Roma. A second focus is forced labor between 1939 and 1945, which was ubiquitous in the Ruhr region; documents, biographies, and interviews with former forced laborers make this subject tangible.

In addition to the exhibition, the house is responsible for annual commemorations, for example on January 27, workshops and educational programs for schools, publications, and the Stolpersteine laying ceremonies in the city. In front of the building stands the sculpture "Die Trauernde".

Key themes

• Permanent exhibition on the city's history, 1933–1945
• Focus on forced labor in the Ruhr region, with eyewitness interviews
• Sculpture "Die Trauernde" in front of the building
• Educational programs and workshops for school classes
• Free admission

Permanent exhibition

• Dauerausstellung zur Stadtgeschichte 1933–1945 und zur Zwangsarbeit – The exhibition, newly installed in 2010, shows persecution and everyday life in Oberhausen during the Nazi era and examines forced labor in the Ruhr region in detail.

Founded

1962

Operated by

Stadt Oberhausen

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

By car via the A 42 (exit Oberhausen Zentrum, turn right after 200 m) or via the A 40 (exit Mülheim-Styrum, then B 223 to Schloss Oberhausen).

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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