Museum Zwangsarbeit im Nationalsozialismus
Museum in the former Gauforum Weimar on the history of Nazi forced labor in Germany and occupied Europe and its consequences.
About the museum
The Museum Zwangsarbeit im Nationalsozialismus (Museum of Forced Labor under National Socialism) opened on May 8, 2024, the anniversary of the end of the war in Europe. After the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora memorials, it is the third educational site of the foundation of the same name and brings its work into the middle of Weimar's city center. It is based on an international traveling exhibition that was developed from 2007 with funds from the Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft, was first shown in 2010 at the Jewish Museum Berlin, and was subsequently presented in Moscow, Warsaw, Prague, Dortmund, Hamburg, and Steyr, among other places.
The site is the south wing of the former Gauforum. There, Fritz Sauckel, Gauleiter of Thuringia and from 1942 Plenipotentiary for Labor Deployment, was to receive his offices; the building, not entirely finished by the end of the war, was never occupied. Most of the exhibition is located in the originally planned reception hall. After a feasibility study in 2013, the Free State of Thuringia converted the rooms starting in 2020; a roof truss fire in November 2022 delayed the work by several months.
The permanent exhibition interprets forced labor as a racist and largely publicly committed crime against society. It leads from exclusion from 1933 through forced labor in occupied Europe and the mass phenomenon in the German Reich to liberation, compensation debates, and remembrance. Over 60 case histories, numerous photo series, more than 70 media stations, and video interviews with survivors make the relationships between Germans and forced laborers visible. In addition, the museum offers city walks to sites of forced labor in Weimar as well as events in the Boris-Romantschenko-Saal.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on the overall history of Nazi forced labor from 1933 to today
- Over 60 case histories with photo series, documents, and objects
- Location in Fritz Sauckel's planned reception hall in the former Gauforum
- Video interviews with former forced laborers
- Free multimedia app in ten languages, including German Sign Language
- City walks on the trail of forced labor in Weimar
Permanent exhibitions
- Zwangsarbeit im Nationalsozialismus – Comprehensive overview of Nazi forced labor in four chapters from exclusion starting in 1933 to liberation, with an epilogue on late recognition and compensation. Over 60 case histories show the relationship between Germans and forced laborers.
- Founded
- 2024
- Operated by
- Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora
- Director
- Dr. Daniel Logemann
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Trainees, pupils, students, people with disabilities, recipients of social benefits, and holders of the Thüringer Ehrenamtscard and the Thüringer Mehrkindfamilienkarte |
| Children & teens | –Pupils pay the reduced price. The museum recommends visiting only from age 14. |
| Seniors | –No separate senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3 |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Groups | –Group programs by registration, flat rates per event: exhibition tour for adult groups (max. 15 people) €80, for groups eligible for reductions €40. City walks, workshops, and seminars for adult groups up to 15 people €80, 16–30 people €120; groups eligible for reductions €40 or €60. |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibition (including admission) | €7Reduced €3 |
| Public city walk on forced labor in Weimar (including admission) | €7Reduced €3 |
Free admission: Free admission every first Friday of the month
Tickets at the information desk in the foyer. Free admission with the weimar card, for members of ICOM and the Deutscher Museumsbund, and for former victims of Nazi persecution and their direct relatives. Use of the multimedia guide is included in admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- 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
Certified "Accessibility Checked" (Reisen für Alle). Access for wheelchairs and walkers, elevator, accessible restroom, and a "toilet for all"; portable seating to borrow. The museum app is also available in German Sign Language. In addition, an inclusive city walk is offered in cooperation with Lebenshilfe Thüringen.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 14+
The museum recommends visiting with children only from age 14; the same age recommendation applies to tours and the app.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
From the main station with bus lines 4, 6, and 7 (travel time approx. 5 minutes); from Goetheplatz approx. 5 minutes on foot.
By car
Parking available
The underground parking garage of the "Weimar Atrium" is recommended; further parking options are listed by the city of Weimar. Coaches can stop at the Weimar Atrium for up to 30 minutes free of charge to drop off and pick up passengers.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN, FR, HE, IT, RU, PL, NL, UK) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photos and film recordings for private purposes permitted as long as other visitors are not disturbed; publication only with permission of the foundation. |
| Good to know | Guided tours every Tuesday at 11:00 and every Saturday at 15:30 (max. 15 participants, tickets at the information desk no later than 15 minutes beforehand). City walk on the trail of Nazi forced labor from March to October every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 13:00 from the Tourist Information at Markt 4 (approx. 2 hours, max. 30 people). Free app "Museum Zwangsarbeit" as a multimedia guide (tour approx. 1 hour, also in German Sign Language); please bring your own headphones. School classes book half-day or full-day workshops or multi-day seminars. |
