December 1, 2026 – January 16, 2028
Das Klassenfoto
Starting from the last group photo of a class at the Jewish elementary school in Munich in 1937, the exhibition traces the lives of the 48 children – flight, survival and murder.
NS-Dokumentationszentrum
A place of learning and remembrance on the site of the former “Brown House”, exploring Munich’s role under National Socialism – with free admission.
Opening hoursFree admission Wheelchair accessible Café
Current exhibitions
About the museum
From the 1980s onward, citizens’ initiatives and local history groups called on Munich to confront its role as the “Capital of the Movement” more openly. After protests against a planned development over the plinths of the Nazi “Temples of Honor” on Königsplatz, art actions and the first information panels, the city council decided in 2001/02 to build a Nazi documentation center; the state of Bavaria and the federal government each covered one third of the construction costs.
The state of Bavaria provided the site of the former “Brown House”, the Nazi Party (NSDAP) headquarters on Brienner Straße. The 2009 architectural competition was won by the Berlin firm Georg Scheel Wetzel with a white exposed-concrete cube whose louvered windows frame deliberate views of the surviving Nazi buildings nearby. After the foundation stone was laid in 2012, the center opened on May 1, 2015, around 70 years after the end of the war.
The permanent exhibition “München und der Nationalsozialismus” (Munich and National Socialism) traces the rise, rule and crimes of the Nazi regime over several floors, along with how this history has been dealt with from 1945 to the present. It is complemented by temporary exhibitions, art installations, a learning forum with a library and an extensive education program. Mirjam Zadoff has directed the center since 2018; in May 2025 it reopened for its tenth anniversary after several months of revision.
A branch site is being developed on the grounds of a former Reichsbahn forced labor camp in Neuaubing, one of the last structurally preserved camp complexes in Germany: a memorial site on Nazi forced labor, scheduled to open in 2027.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition “München und der Nationalsozialismus” (Munich and National Socialism) at a historic site of the perpetrators
- Architecture by Georg Scheel Wetzel with sight lines to Nazi buildings on Königsplatz
- Free media guide in eleven languages, also in German Sign Language (DGS) and for families
- Free public guided tours every Sunday
- Art installations by Annette Kelm, Michaela Melián and the Heisenberg brothers
- Neuaubing memorial site on Nazi forced labor (under development)
Permanent exhibitions
- München und der Nationalsozialismus – The permanent exhibition shows how National Socialism emerged in Munich, what role the city played in the system of terror and how this history was dealt with after 1945.
- Ständige Kunstinstallationen: Verbrannte Bücher, Memory Loops, Brienner 45 – A photo series by Annette Kelm, an audio project by Michaela Melián and a media artwork by Benjamin and Emanuel Heisenberg complement the exhibition.
- Founded
- 2015
- Operated by
- Landeshauptstadt München
- Director
- Mirjam Zadoff
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Free admission for everyone; a family media guide is aimed at children aged 10 and over, as the exhibition contains distressing images |
|---|---|
| Seniors | –Free admission |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Free admission |
| Students & apprentices | –Free admission |
| Groups (20+ people) | –Free admission; groups of 20 or more please register. Overview tour (90 min.) €100 per group, free for school classes and university students. Recommended visiting time for groups: 14:30–19:00. |
| Families | –Free admission |
No ticket or advance booking required. Events are mostly free; for exceptions (e.g. concerts), tickets are issued.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
All exhibition areas are step-free, two elevators, light tables with knee clearance; accessible restrooms on the 1st basement level; wheelchair and folding chairs in the foyer. Braille orientation information on all exhibition elements and stairs. Loaner induction loops, induction hearing system in the event hall. Media guide with tours in German Sign Language (DGS) and International Sign and an audio guide in easy-to-understand language; DGS tours held regularly and on request. Assessed under “Reisen für Alle” (Travel for All) (2018). U-Bahn Königsplatz exit C has an elevator.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 10+
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Parts of the exhibition deal with war and violence and may show distressing images. Media guide tour for families with children aged 10 and over (skips areas with violent images) and a separate tour for teenagers aged 14 and over. Bookable tours for children’s and youth groups.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Königsplatz
U2/U8 Königsplatz (exit C with elevator); tram 27/28 Karolinenplatz; bus 100 (museum line), 58 and 68 Königsplatz or Pinakotheken; S-Bahn Hauptbahnhof or Karlsplatz (Stachus), approx. 10-minute walk
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking for visitors or coaches; only paid public parking in the area, so arriving by public transport is recommended. Coaches may stop at Königsplatz only to drop off and pick up passengers.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Inclusive café “CafeBar Max” in the foyer (Tue–Sun 10:00–19:00, run by BalanDeli) with a small shop for the center’s publications. Open Wi-Fi “visitors”. Learning forum and library on the 1st basement level.
Events & venue rental
As far as we know, the museum does not rent out spaces for external events.
According to the FAQ, no spaces are rented out; only the center’s own or co-organized events take place.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN, FR, IT, ES, PL, RU, EL, TR, HE, AR) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Permitted for private use only; commercial photography and press coverage require written permission from the press office |
| Good to know | Free media guide available as a loaner device on the 1st basement level or on your own smartphone (bring your own headphones), with tours lasting 40 to 150 minutes, including tours for teenagers aged 14 and over and for families with children aged 10 and over. Free guided tours on Sundays at 11:00 and 14:00 (permanent exhibition) and 15:00 (temporary exhibition), no registration required. Group programs via buchung.nsdoku@muenchen.de or tel. +49 89 233767007. Overview tour “München und der Nationalsozialismus” for groups, 90 min. |
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