First National Socialism Documentation Center of Munich – www.dw.de

 The Munich Königsplatz is a place steeped in history. Here burned German students and professors on 10 May 1933 books by Jewish, communist and other unwelcome authors. Here marched to the Nazis, here stood the Fuhrer and the “Brown House”, the party headquarters of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Party, which was destroyed in the last weeks of the war in the bombing. After the demolition of the ruins of the land lay fallow long, and not even a sign reminded them of the importance of the address. By 2012, when the first sod of the construction
 NS Documentation Centre inaugurated to the was fought in Munich for almost two decades and its opening is postponed several times.

A long way to the center

“All Generally one can say that Munich has done heavier than all other cities in Germany, because it was even more fraught with history than any other city, “declared the founding director of the National Socialist Documentation Centre, Winfried Nerding, the long period between the end of Nazism and the building of a center. In Munich everything took its beginning: SS, SA or Hitler Youth had been established here with broad support from the Munich company. But now, the Documentation Centre is finally ready after long wrangling: EUR 28.2 million for the Berlin architect Bettina Georg, Tobias Scheel Wetzel and Simon built a all-white, highly visible cube. “It is late, but not too late,” admitted the Holocaust survivor Max Mannheimer the Munich along the way.

A cube, found in the historical consciousness of its place has

 Even the historian Hans Günter Hockerts, former professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich with a focus on contemporary history, is that the center is important for Munich: “For here the NSDAP was founded in 1919/20, and from start to finish resided here the headquarters of the party. In addition, Munich took a central role as an art metropolis of the Third Reich to complete. “

  Modern presentation

 A permanent exhibition in the new documentation center will investigate to about 1000 Quadradratmetern the question why exactly München sank so deep in the brown swamp. It highlights the rise of the Nazis on the crimes of Munich residents during World War II up to the present NSU process. Hockerts it is important to still deal with the Third Reich. Just to show what happens when a general human and civil rights are overridden. “Humanitarian inhibitions can decline rapidly,” he says. “A highly developed society can be within a few years turned into a radical exclusion society.”

 The award-winning director and visual artist Benjamin Heisenberg has a similar view. Together with his brother Emanuel Heisenberg and the artist Elisophie Eulenburg he has a film collage created: monitors are embedded in walls and pieces scattered everywhere, it can be seen film clips, the historical and contemporary images and text juxtapose. One could here learn about the processes that go here and now in front of him, whether Pegida or the radicalization of young people who find Heisenberg. “The question is: am I doing something that the company is in a right direction, I take personal responsibility for how I deal with my fellow human beings?”

 The artists have with their unusual presentation form, especially a younger audience in his sights. However, the operator of the center have for juniors provides an entire floor with interactive and multimedia educational and information facilities. They range from thematic historical paths to audio guides that have been developed by municipal vocational schools.

warning example for young people

 The former vice president of the World Jewish Congress and former President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Charlotte Knobloch, is convinced that the 28 million euros are well invested, if it is possible, especially the young people of the fragility of freedom and democracy awareness.

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From here, visitors can overlook the square where once the Nazis held their parades

As survivors of the Third Reich Knobloch has been known to create highly critical standards when dealing with Germany’s Nazi past. This project, however, it can “absolutely and in every respect” advocate. According Hockerts “It’s very important to keep not only the memory of the past awake, but in particular the current ills in our society and to show the world,” said Knobloch.

young people often ask and not to law, which had long since the last Nazi era to do with their own lives. Not only are the parallels to the present had an answer, but also the fundamental differences between the current Germany and the Nazi era.

 A “fundamental break with the history of the site”, the architects wanted to bring to the center with its construction. The modern white cube should replace the stamps, which the Nazis this location once aufdrückten. Munich’s history is thus carved in stone once more.