Holocaust memorials and historic sites throughout Germany
- Raquel Guertzenstein Frohlich
- Nov 22
- 4 min read
From the well-known and centrally located Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin to the small but impactful Jewish cemetery in Weimar, these are some of the memorials and historical Jewish sites to travel to throughout Germany.
BERLIN
Platform 17 Memorial - Berlin Grunewald Station
Mahnmal Gleis 17 - Berlin Grunewald
This memorial was made in remembrance of the thousands of Jews who were deported on Deutsche Reichsbahn trains from this platform to concentration camps.
Though commemorative plaques and artwork were displayed at the site since the early 1990s, this newer memorial is made of 186 steel plates inscribed with the dates and destinations of all deportation trains. "A second part of the memorial is the vegetation that has spread between the tracks: it is a symbol that no train will ever leave the station at this track again," according to the website of the city of Berlin. It was designed by architects Nicolaus Hirsch, Wolfgang Lorch and Andrea Wandel.
It opened in 1998 and is open to the public, a little bit outside the city center. Once you arrive at Grunewald Station, there are signs to guide you to the memorial site.
To license these photos of the Platform 17 Memorial, click here.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas
Located on Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, this memorial opened in May 2005. Being out on the street, the site is free to visit and is open 24 hours a day. The Information Centre underneath the Fields of Stelae is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To license these photos of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, click here.
The Memorial and Educational Site House of the Wannsee Conference
Gedenk-und Bildungsstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz
This memorial and educational site is where, in 1942, leading figures of the Nazi government convened to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question." The exhibition on site is free to visit, and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To license these photos of the House of the Wannsee Conference, click here.
BREMEN
Memorial for the Victims of the November Pogroms 1938
Mahnmal für die Opfer der Novemberpogrome 1938; Gedenkstätte Reichskristallnacht
I was surprised to come across this memorial while walking around central Bremen, as I hadn't found any information about it when researching the city. The memorial is located on Dechanatstraße 9.
The inscription on the memorial translates to, "Our Jewish fellow citizens, Martha Goldberg, Dr. Adolph Goldberg, Heinrich Rosenblum, Leopold Sinasohn, Selma Zwienicki, were murdered in this city on the night of November 9-10, 1938." Other members of the Jewish community were taken to prison and later deported to concentration camps.
*Throughout the many cities I traveled through in Germany, Bremen was the only place where I felt extremely unsafe, and I chose to immediately leave the day after arriving.
To license these photos of the Memorial for the Victims of the November Pogroms 1938, click here.
Bunker Valentin Memorial Site
Denkort Bunker Valentin
A moderate trek from Bremen, this memorial became open to the public in 2015, and is free to visit. It can be reached by a combination of train and bus from Bremen's main station.
The bunker is the ruin of a submarine shipyard of the German Navy, and was built by thousands of forced laborers.
To license these photos of Bunker Valentin, click here.
ERFURT
Jewish-Medieval Heritage in Erfurt
Jewish-Medieval Heritage in Erfurt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of the Old Synagogue, the Mikveh, and the Stone House.
To license these photos of Jewish sites in Erfurt, click here.
HAMBURG
Bornplatz Synagogue Monument at Joseph-Carlebach-Platz
Synagogenmonument am Bornplatz
At this memorial site, a mosaic in the ground traces the floor plan of Hamburg's main synagogue that once stood in the plaza. The synagogue was attacked during Kristallnacht, forcefully sold to the city of Hamburg, and demolished using funds taken from the Jewish community.
To license these photos of Joseph-Carlebach-Platz, click here.
"Kindertransport - The Final Parting" sculpture
Der letzte Abschied
The bronze sculpture by Frank Meisler and Arie Ovadia is displayed outside the Dammtor railway station in Hamburg.
To license these photos of the "Kindertransport - The Final Parting" sculpture, click here.
MUNICH
In addition to many historical sites, there is the Jewish Museum Munich that is worth a visit (a regular ticket is €6).
Menorah Monument
Gedenkstein Alte Hauptsynagoge
The synagogue that once stood at this site in Marienplatz was forcefully sold by the Jewish community and demolished a few months before Kristallnacht.
A design by artist Herbert Peters was selected for the memorial, and it was unveiled in 1969.
To license these photos of the Menorah Monument in Munich, click here.
Holocaust Memorial on Troppauer Straße
Located in the neighborhood of Milbertshofen, not much information could be found about this monument.
The inscription translates to, "For the many Jewish citizens who, starting in 1941-1943, were sent to extermination camps following their admission to the Munich labor/collection camp here at Knorrstrasse 148."
To license these photos of the Holocaust Memorial on Troppauer Strasse, click here.
Munich 1972 Massacre Memorial
Erinnerungsort Olympia-Attentat München 1972
The memorial to the 11 Israeli athletes murdered during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games is set in Munich's Olympia Park.
To license these photos of the Munich 1972 Massacre Memorial, click here.
WEIMAR
Spending a few days in Weimar is ideal if you're looking to visit the Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial, as it's about a 20-minute bus ride from the city.
The Jewish Cemetery Weimar
Jüdischer Friedhof Gedenkstätte
The cemetery can be found on Ecke Leibnizallee/Musäusstraße and appears open for anyone to visit.
To license these photos of the Jewish cemetery in Weimar, click here.
For those interested in learning more, the German National Tourist Board offers an incredible e-brochure called "Germany for the Jewish Traveler."
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