Gauforum Weimar

The Gauforum Weimar is a Nazi-era administrative complex with three buildings and a central tower located in the northern part of the city. The site houses offices of the Thuringian state government and a shopping center in what was formerly an assembly hall.

Construction started in 1937 under architect Hermann Gießler and required the destruction of hundreds of houses and the displacement of thousands of residents from the city center. This was part of the Nazi regime's plan to reshape and expand the city.

The complex houses a permanent exhibition about forced labor during the Nazi period, documenting how concentration camp prisoners were forced to work on its construction. Visitors can learn about the people who built this place and the conditions they endured.

Some of the buildings are open to the public while others remain government offices. The central tower houses an exhibition and serves as a good reference point for understanding the entire complex.

The central tower contains exhibition spaces that tell the dark history of this place, including details about the forced laborers involved in its construction. A new museum dedicated to forced labor is opening in this area and will document this history in greater depth.