KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme

The Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial is a special place. As a place of learning and remembrance, the memorial now provides information about Nazi crimes, commemorates their victims and actively promotes a vibrant culture of remembrance. There are several exhibitions and circular trails that provide information about forced labour and the lives of the prisoners and perpetrators.

Many Hamburg residents are still unaware that the largest concentration camp in north-western Germany was located in Hamburg from 1938 to 1945. Over 100,000 people were imprisoned in the Neuengamme concentration camp and its more than 85 satellite camps. At least 42,900 of them did not survive their time in captivity. They died as a result of malnutrition, poor hygiene, hard labour or brutal treatment by the SS.

Despite its location on the outskirts of Hamburg, the camp was not an isolated place, but was always closely intertwined with the city and the regional economy. Prisoners were used for forced labour in numerous businesses, for clean-up work and construction projects – an aspect that remains largely unknown.

We invite everyone to explore this part of Hamburg’s history – whether you have prior knowledge or not. As an educational institution, we want to inform and educate, but we also want to create spaces for encounter and exchange. So please come and visit us!