Grafeneck Euthanasia Centre Museum

Grafeneck Euthanasia Centre, located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was the site of mass murder carried out in 1940 under the Nazi Aktion T4 programme. The facility operated as one of the early killing centres where people with physical and mental disabilities were murdered.

The site is now preserved as a memorial and documentation centre that records the history of the killings, commemorates the victims and provides educational material about forced euthanasia and Nazi crimes. The grounds include the historic Grafeneck Castle building where the killings took place and associated memorial installations.

Grafeneck’s operation in 1940 resulted in more than 10,600 deaths and is documented in German post-war historical records and memorial projects. After the war the site was later reconfigured and in recent decades has been developed as a place of remembrance and historical interpretation.

Grafeneck is situated in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg; the memorial complex and castle are accessible to visitors and are part of wider regional remembrance initiatives.

• Victims: More than 10,600 people with disabilities and illnesses were killed at the site during 1940 as part of the Nazi Aktion T4 programme.

What to See#

• Grafeneck Castle: The historic Grafeneck Castle, the physical site where forced killings were carried out in 1940 and which now hosts a memorial space on the grounds.
• Memorial and documentation centre: A memorial and documentation centre on site that commemorates the victims of the Nazi euthanasia programme and provides historical interpretation of events at Grafeneck.

• Plan weekday morning visits when possible and check the memorial's opening hours in advance; the documentation center operates to set times and weekdays are generally quieter for reflection.
• Allow at least an hour to see the exhibition panels and the outdoor memorial spaces-many visitors underestimate the time needed to read the displays and reflect at the site.
• Contact the memorial in advance if you want a guided visit or educational group briefing; guided sessions are available and give context that casual visits can miss.