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Former SS Caserns

Initially used to house the Barracked People's Police, the casern is now an international youth centre and information centre for visitors.

View of the parking lot of the memorial. Next to the parking lot the visitor information and the youth meeting center in the former SS barracks.
The visitor information and the youth meeting center are located in the former SS barracks, 2012. Photo: Claus Bach.

©Buchenwald Memorial

The former four caserns, two one-story buildings, and the administrative building of the SS garrison were taken over by GDR Ministry of Culture in 1958, which oversaw the National GDR Monument. The buildings had previously served as accommodations for the Soviet guards of Special Camp No. 2 and then the Barracked People's Police.

A cinema and a restaurant were opened in each of the one-story buildings in 1961, and the administrative building was turned into the hotel "Am Ettersberg" operated by the state trading organization known as "HO" (Handelsorganisation). The "Albert Kuntz" youth hostel was installed here as were offices and apartments for the staff of the National Buchenwald Memorial.

After 1990 the hotel and youth hostel were closed, and an international youth centre was established in two of the caserns. The archive, library, and collections of the memorial site were then moved into the administration building.

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