Gedenkstätte ehemaliges SS-Sonderlager/KZ Hinzert

About the museum

In October 1939, the Nazi regime set up a police detention camp for workers building the Westwall in Hinzert, in the Hochwald. It became the SS special camp, later placed under the Buchenwald concentration camp, where prisoners from many countries, above all from Luxembourg and France, were held. Around 10,000 people were imprisoned here; 313 prisoners from nine nations died. On March 3, 1945, the camp was evacuated, and the last prisoners were driven on a forced march across the Rhine.

Remembrance began early: in 1946 the French military government established an honor cemetery, in 1948 the Sühnekapelle (expiation chapel) was built, and in 1986 the former Luxembourg prisoner Lucien Wercollier installed his memorial. The friends' association founded in 1989 campaigned for a place of information and encounter; in 2002, the state parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate decided to build a documentation center.

The award-winning documentation and encounter center opened on December 10, 2005. Its permanent exhibition traces the history of the camp, and an audio guide leads through the rooms in several languages. The memorial is run by the Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Rheinland-Pfalz (state center for political education), and the friends' association offers guided tours. The outdoor grounds with the chapel, memorial, and cemetery are part of the route.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition in the documentation and encounter center
• Memorial by Lucien Wercollier (1986)
• Expiation chapel (1948) and honor cemetery (1946)
• Audio guide in German, English, French, and Dutch
• Free admission and free guided tours

Permanent exhibition

• Dauerausstellung im Dokumentations- und Begegnungshaus – The exhibition traces the history of the SS special camp / Hinzert concentration camp and its prisoners from 1939 to 1945.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Rheinland-Pfalz (mit Förderverein Gedenkstätte KZ Hinzert e. V.)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission and guided tours are free; the friends' association welcomes donations.

Accessibility

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

The permanent exhibition and seminar rooms are wheelchair-accessible, with a ground-level entrance. Guided tours for visually impaired visitors are available on request.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

Memorial to Nazi persecution; programs for primary and secondary schools are available upon registration.

Getting there & parking

From Trier, take the A 602 and the L 151 toward Hermeskeil until the Hinzert-Pölert exit, then follow the signs to the memorial.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit