Opening Hours Practical Info What is where? Apps Public Tours further language offers Accessibility FAQ
View from watchtower 3 over the rows of barracks of Buchenwald Concentration Camp from west to east. In the foreground, Block 1 can be seen on the right, Block 7 below it, and Block 13 of the Soviet POW camp on the far left. People are walking between the barracks. Broken furniture and other debris are piled up at the front edge of the picture.

85. Jahrestag des Überfalls auf die Sowjetunion Dossier

Anlässlich des 80. Jahrestags des deutschen Überfalls auf die Sowjetunion wurde im Sommer 2021 in der Gedenkstätte Buchenwald eine Outdoor-Ausstellung gezeigt. Zum 85. Jahrestag präsentieren wir nun ausgewählte Inhalte der Ausstellung als Dossier.

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Resistance: Audio Stories from Thuringia, 1939–1945 Listen now & visit the installation through October 18, 2026

Twelve stories focus on Germans, civilian forced laborers, prisoners of war, and concentration camp inmates.

More Information
A group of young visitors with their guide touching the memorial plaque at Appellplatz.

Public Tours 2 hours

Explore the memorial accompanied by our trained educational staff.

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81st anniversary of liberation 81st anniversary of the liberation

A complete recording of the memorial service, including all speeches in German and English.

Video-Recording
Auf dem Bild sieht man das Logo der Initiative "weltoffenes Thüringen". Das Logo setzt sich aus abgerundeten Speren in Rot, Orange, Gelb, Blau, Grün und Lila zusammen.

Weltoffenes Thüringen

Über 8.000 Organisationen und Menschen aus dem gesamten Freistaat engagieren sich in der Initiative »Weltoffenes Thüringen«.

Zur Website

Visiting Restrictions for the Former Crematorium

From Tuesday to Thursday, access to the former crematorium is only possible between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. as part of guided tours conducted by the Memorial.

Opening Hours:
Monday: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Tuesday through Thursday: 10 a.m.–11 a.m. and 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
Friday through Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Last entry 30 minutes before closing time.

Relatives of former prisoners are kindly asked to contact us at +49 (0) 3643/430-160 or -144

25 to 28 June 2026 - Conservation measures in the former prisoner camp

To contain an invasive plant species, a pesticide must be applied to the grounds of the former prisoners' camp. To protect our guests, the affected areas will be closed for 48 hours. It is not permitted to enter, drive on or otherwise stay on the site during this period.

What Is Where? Map

Get a first overview of the location of the exhibitions, the most important historical sites and our service offers.

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Hier ist der gesamte Text aus dem Bild: Hörgeschichten aus Thüringen 1939–1945 Rudolstadt Weißensee Hermsdorf Schmölln Buchenwald Zella-Mehlis Niederorschel Gotha

The 141 satellite camps of Buchenwald concentration camp New Website

In mid-1944, more than half of all prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp were held in satellite camps. Companies, local authorities, government agencies and military units exploited their labour there.

to all satellite camps
A visitor stands in front of a display case and listens at a listening station.

Buchenwald. Ostracism and Violence 1937 to 1945 Exhibition

Exploring the history of the camp and how it was embedded in german society, the exhibition encompasses 2000 square metres. In addition, numerous original objects illustrate everyday life in the camp.

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View into the glazed area of the art exhibition where sculptures are placed.

"Means of survival - testimony - work of art - pictorial memory" Art Exhibition

In the former disinfection of the concentration camp, the permanent art exhibition with about 200 exhibits - paintings, drawings, graphics, photographs, sculptures, installations and collages - is located on about 400 square metres.

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(No) Place of Silence Interimsausstellung

Wie kam es zum sowjetischen Speziallager Nr. 2 in Buchenwald? Wer war dort inhaftiert? Warum wurde so lange über das Lager geschwiegen? Studierende der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena beschäftigten sich mit diesen Fragen und geben Antworten.

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A visitor uses the I-Guide app while touring the memorial. The smartphone used is equipped with headphones.

App / Multimedia Guide Digital accompaniment

You can also explore Buchenwald with our app, which is available for free in the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

To the biography of Éva Fahidi-Pusztai

Statement by the International Buchenwald Dora Committee and Commandos Concentration camp survivors on the results of the state elections in Thuringia

"The AfD, led in Thuringia by Björn Höcke, is fighting against Germany's current remembrance policy and is thus also threatening the efforts of former concentration camp prisoners who are still alive today."

To the Statement
Loeffelsender Teaser

The Buchenwald concentration camp 1937 to 1945 Book of the month

To mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation, Michael Löffelsender offers a concise history of the concentration camp that covers all the important aspects. The internal history of the camp, the actions of the SS, the experiences of those persecuted...

to the shop
Screenshot of the web app Dingen auf der Spur. (Traces of things).

Figuring things out New Web app

The Web App offers a first approach to concentration camp history by means of historical objects. The interactive exploration of these object stories, partly designed with 3D scans, offers exciting insights into the life of the object owner.

Proceed to web app

Buchenwald railway memorial path New website of the initiative

The Buchenwald Railway Memorial Trail initiative maintains the memorial trail from Weimar to Buchenwald along the former railway tracks. A growing memorial consisting of memorial stones has been under construction along one section since 2007. These...

to the Website

Events

Exhibition
09.04.2026 ‒ 02.08.2026, 10:00 AM‒18:00 PM
Gedenkstätte Buchenwald, Kunstausstellung

Lee Miller in Buchenwald and Weimar – Art, Documentation and Responsibility

Dialog
25.06.2026, 18:30 PM‒20:00 PM
#11 FORUM „In Gesellschaft.“ – mit Matthias Brandt, Tatjana Tönsmeyer & Daria Yemtsova
Museum Zwangsarbeit

Möglichkeiten von Widerstand 1/2

Lecture
03.07.2026, 18:30 PM‒20:00 PM
Opening of the 2026 annual theme ‘Resistance’
Museum Zwangsarbeit

Jens-Christian Wagner: Early concentration camps in Thuringia

All events

Newsroom

Is the keffiyeh banned at the Buchenwald Memorial? Our rules for a respectful visit – and where the red line is drawn

No, there is no blanket ban on wearing a keffiyeh (also known as a kufiya or 'Palestinian scarf') at the Buchenwald Memorial. The Foundation does not consider the keffiyeh to be anti-Semitic per se; what matters is the specific context and the intention behind wearing the keffiyeh.

On the New Year 2026 New Year's greeting

On behalf of all the staff of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation we send you our warmest greetings at the turn of the year and wish you a healthy and peaceful 2026.
Lutz Niethammer in seinem Büro

Wir trauern um Lutz Niethammer 1939 - 2025

Gestern ist Prof. Dr. Lutz Niethammer im Kreis seiner Familie in Berlin gestorben. Der 1939 in Stuttgart geborene Historiker war für die Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora ein unverzichtbarer Ratgeber, der bleibende Impulse gesetzt hat. Mit seinen Forschungen legte er wesentliche Grundlagen für die Entwicklung der Stiftung und ihrer Projekte.
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