Workshop with students from the School for Color and Design, 2019 | © NS-Dokumentationszentrum München, photo: Connolly Weber Photography

The educational concept of the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism

Drawing Lessons from the Past for the Present and the Future

We communicate the history of National Socialism in Munich at the historic site.

What kind of information do we communicate?

The Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism is located in the city and on the site where the Nazi Party came into being and where it had its headquarters. The significance of this location not only challenges us to address the past, but also to ask why Nazi ideology and Nazi crimes should still concern us today. We seek to create an awareness of the impact that historic events have on today’s world and on our daily lives. Subjects such as war and genocide, racism and antisemitism, exclusion and forced migration are still of major global relevance today.

Learning about the Nazi past provides an impetus to think and talk about how we can and should live together in a society of the future.

In our work we are committed to the principles of diversity, equality, respect, and inclusion. We counter nationalist, revisionist, and right-wing extremist tendencies with knowledge, creativity, and optimism.  

How do we communicate information?

The exhibitions at the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism feature historical film footage, documents and photographs, contemporary art and literature. The life stories and fates of individuals provide the starting point for our educational work. The historic locations around the Documentation Center are visible through the large windows in the foyer and on the upper floors and are thus part of the exhibition.

The library and the Learning Center downstairs offer additional resources and provide more detailed information for those wishing to engage in guided or independent research.  

We are committed to the methods and goals of historical-political education. Our offerings allow space for visitors to engage in discussion and form opinions. Since we believe that learning is an active process in which we all participate, we invite our visitors to enter into a dialogue with us, to ask questions, and to discuss what they have learned.

We offer a broad range of tours and seminars tailored to the needs and interests of different target groups, thus enabling as many people as possible to participate.