Gedenkstätte Bernburg, Memorial site in Bernburg, Germany
Gedenkstätte Bernburg is a memorial site at a medical facility that operated as a killing center from 1940 to 1943, claiming over 14,000 patients and prisoners. The building contains a gas chamber disguised as a shower room, a dissection room, and a crematorium that visitors can view today.
The facility was established in 1940 as one of six central killing centers and played a key role in the organized murder program targeting people with disabilities. After the war ended, the building was repurposed until 1992, when it opened as a memorial site.
The memorial documents forced sterilization programs and medical crimes committed against people with disabilities during the Nazi period. Visitors can learn through exhibitions how these practices were systematically carried out within institutions.
The site is open on several weekdays and selected Sundays, allowing both self-guided and guided visits. It is advisable to check in advance for any special programs or tours and to plan sufficient time for your visit.
The gas chamber was fitted with fake shower fixtures to deceive victims, revealing how methodical and deliberate the murders were planned. Today visitors can learn about individual victims through biographical research projects that help restore their stories.
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