Gedenkstätte Pirna-Sonnenstein
Memorial at the site of the Nazi killing center Sonnenstein, where almost 15,000 sick and disabled people were murdered in 1940/41. Free admission.
About the museum
In 1811 the state of Saxony set up a mental hospital and care home in the former fortress on the Sonnenstein above Pirna, which in the 19th century was regarded as one of the most progressive psychiatric institutions of its time.
From the end of June 1940, part of the site served as one of six killing centers of "Aktion T4." A gas chamber and a crematorium were installed in the basement of building C 16. According to the internal "Hartheim statistics," 13,720 people with mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities were murdered there with carbon monoxide by August 1941; in the summer of 1941 more than 1,000 concentration camp prisoners were added under "Sonderbehandlung 14f13" ("special treatment 14f13"). The facility was dissolved in 1942; afterwards the Wehrmacht and later other institutions used the buildings, while the crimes were hardly addressed in public for decades.
After 1989, citizens of Pirna and relatives of victims campaigned for a memorial; a board of trustees was founded for this purpose in 1991. On June 9, 2000, the Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten opened the memorial with a permanent exhibition in the attic and the memorial rooms in the basement, where the remains of the killing facility can be seen. Today it is also an important place of learning with programs in Easy Language.
Highlights
- Surviving basement rooms of the former gas chamber and crematorium
- Memorial room with the life stories of 22 victims
- Permanent exhibition on the history of the mental hospital and Nazi "euthanasia"
- Guided tours in Easy Language, developed together with people with learning difficulties
- Art trail "Denkzeichen" from Pirna station to the memorial
Permanent exhibitions
- Dauerausstellung zur Geschichte der ehemaligen Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Pirna-Sonnenstein – The exhibition in the attic traces the history of the institution and documents the patient murders of "Aktion T4" as well as the killing of concentration camp prisoners in 1941.
- Gedenkbereich im Keller – In the former killing rooms, traces of the gas chamber and crematorium as well as a memorial room with 22 biographies commemorate those who were murdered.
- Founded
- 2000
- Operated by
- Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten
- Director
- Dr. Boris Böhm
- Visitors per year
- approx. 10,927 (2013)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission and the public Saturday tour are free (donations welcome). Group tour (approx. 2 hours) €50, free for schools and educational institutions.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 14+
Memorial site; recommended minimum age 14, project days for school classes from grade 8.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Landratsamt
From Pirna train station or central bus station (ZOB), take city bus H/S or regional bus 241, 245, 246 to "Landratsamt," then follow the street Schloßpark; alternatively approx. 45 min. on foot via the art trail "Denkzeichen" (approx. 2 km).
By car
Paid parking
Paid parking lot near the memorial (have exactly €3 ready to exit). The street Schloßpark is a no-parking zone; coaches may only drop off passengers – for parking, use the Elbe parking lot on the old town side P6 or the long-term parking lot on Gartenstraße.
By car via the A 17, exit Pirna, then B 172a and B 172 toward Pirna-Sonnenstein.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
Snack and drink vending machine on site.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tour on Saturdays at 14:00 (approx. 60 min., no registration required, meeting point at the entrance). Group tours (approx. 2 hours) and project days by appointment; tour in Easy Language (approx. 3 hours, max. 15 people), especially for special-needs and vocational schools. |
