Gedenkstätte Schillstraße

About the museum

The Schillstraße Memorial is the central place of remembrance of the Nazi era in Braunschweig. In 1944/45 a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp stood in direct proximity to today's memorial grounds. In August 1944, 126 prisoners from Neuengamme began to build the camp. More than 1,000 further men, mostly Polish Jews, were deported from Auschwitz to Braunschweig and distributed between the two subcamps at Schillstraße and in Vechelde. They had to perform forced labor for the Braunschweig truck manufacturer Büssing. At the end of March 1945 both camps were evacuated. The last barracks disappeared around 1960; today a shopping center and a parking lot stand on the site, and only a concrete marker recalls the foundations of a barrack discovered in 2014.

The memorial was created after political disputes and an artistic competition on the neighboring property. A monument to Ferdinand von Schill has stood there since 1837; in 1955 it was additionally dedicated to members of the Wehrmacht. The memorial building is a former invalids' home, in which a Schill Museum was once housed. The concept by the Hamburg artist Sigrid Sigurdsson comprises, alongside the Open Archive, a memorial wall with panels, a stair platform and illuminated lettering. The memorial opened in 2000.

Since 2019 the Arbeitskreis Andere Geschichte e. V. has run the facility, which it had previously looked after on behalf of the city of Braunschweig. Besides guided tours, seminars and workshops, the house occasionally shows temporary exhibitions and hosts lectures.

Key themes

• Open Archive "Braunschweig – Eine Stadt in Deutschland erinnert sich" as a participatory artwork
• Model of the former camp site with audio commentary on the barracks
• Media station with eyewitness interviews and a short film about the camp site
• Memorial wall with illuminated lettering and stair platform in the outdoor area
• Digital site guide for walks outside opening hours

Permanent exhibitions

• Offenes Archiv „Braunschweig – Eine Stadt in Deutschland erinnert sich“ – The archive, growing since 1996, collects documents and research from citizens, school classes and initiatives on the Nazi era in Braunschweig, in boxes, and can be used during opening hours.
• KZ-Außenlager Schillstraße: Lagermodell und Zeitzeugen – A model of the barrack complex with audio tracks, an introductory short film and interviews with survivors of the Braunschweig subcamps.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Arbeitskreis Andere Geschichte e. V.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission and the educational programs are free of charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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 building is at ground level and the grounds are largely designed to be accessible. There may be restrictions in winter.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

Educational offers are aimed at school classes from grade 7 and grade 9 respectively, as well as at adults.

Getting there & parking

The memorial directly borders the grounds of the BraWoPark shopping center.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit