KZ-Gedenk- und Begegnungsstätte Ladelund
Church-run memorial and meeting site at the location of a 1944 concentration camp subcamp, with a document house, graves, a restored anti-tank trench and the Garden of Encounter.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
From November 1 to December 16, 1944, a subcamp of the concentration camp existed in Ladelund. The SS forced more than 2,000 prisoners from twelve nations, close to the German-Danish border, to dig anti-tank trenches to halt an anticipated Allied advance. They were housed in a barrack camp that the Reich Labour Service had built in 1938 for 200 men. Within six weeks, around 300 people died; they were buried in the village cemetery.
After the war, the barracks housed expellees; the last families moved out in 1959, and the last barrack was demolished in 1970. Pastor Johannes Meyer ensured that the graves, which are the origin and center of the memorial, were properly cared for. October 24, 1950, is regarded as the founding date, when 130 relatives of the dead from the Dutch town of Putten visited the graves for the first time.
In 1985 the parish leased a small part of the former camp site and created a place of remembrance there. Since 1990 the document house has existed, whose permanent exhibition was newly developed in 2017. It is the only concentration camp memorial in Germany run by a church.
Key themes
- Document house with a permanent exhibition in four languages
- Graves of the roughly 300 camp victims in the village cemetery
- Partly restored anti-tank trench as a site of forced labor
- Former camp site with a memorial stone
- Garden of Encounter
- Free audio guide in four languages and virtual tour
Permanent exhibition
- Das KZ im Dorf – Geschichte und Nachgeschichte des Außenlagers Ladelund – The four-language exhibition in the document house, newly developed in 2017, tells of the camp, its prisoners and how the village has dealt with the past; biographies of prisoners can be accessed digitally.
- Founded
- 1950
- Operated by
- Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde St. Petri Ladelund
- Director
- Dr. Katja Happe
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission and guided tours are free; donations toward the memorial's work are welcome.
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
The exhibition, graves and Garden of Encounter are accessible for people with disabilities. Dogs may not enter the memorial; they may be leashed within sight. Inclusive guided tours for pupils aged 12 and up.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kids
Educational offers for school classes: tours for young people aged 14 and up, inclusive tours from age 12, and a workshop on biographical work.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Ladelund, Alte Feuerwehr
Monday to Friday: express bus 1013 from Niebüll or Flensburg ZOB to Leck ZOB, then hourly with bus 1012 or community bus 1012 a/b to Ladelund.
By car
Free parking
Ample free parking; bicycle parking available. The "Grenzroute" cycle path runs through Ladelund, and the detour to the memorial is signposted.
Travel by public transport is cumbersome; the citizens' foundation Schleswig-Holsteinische Gedenkstätten refunds most of the bus fares for school classes.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Books and brochures on the history of the camp are available on site.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN, NL, DA) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free guided tours for groups in German, English, Dutch and Danish by arrangement; a ten-minute introductory film usually runs during the tour. The audio guide can be downloaded (hotspot at the document house), and there is a virtual tour of the outdoor grounds. |
