Neuengamme, Hamburg

The Neuengamme site near Hamburg is the location of the former Neuengamme concentration camp and today functions as a memorial and documentation centre. It commemorates the victims and interprets the history of the camp for visitors.

On the grounds visitors can see an exhibition and documentation centre, preserved camp buildings and a cemetery and memorial area. The memorial interprets the camp’s operation and the network of subcamps, and offers guided tours and educational programmes.

The camp was established by the SS in 1938 and operated through 1945; it was used for detention and forced labour of prisoners from many countries during the Nazi period. After the war the site was gradually transformed into a place of remembrance with exhibitions and graves for victims.

Neuengamme sits on the outskirts of Hamburg in the district of Neuengamme, roughly southeast of the city centre and reachable by regional transport.

• Access: Located about 15 kilometers southeast of central Hamburg, the site is accessible by public transport and by car from the city.
• Visitor experience: The memorial covers the former camp area and includes indoor exhibition space plus outdoor commemorative sections; guided visits provide the most context for the grounds.

What to See #

• Exhibition and documentation centre: Located on the footprint of the former SS concentration camp, the documentation centre houses exhibitions on the camp's history and prisoner experiences and provides guided tours of the site.
• Memorial cemetery: A cemetery and memorial area on site contains graves, commemorative monuments and plaques honoring victims and labourers who died at the camp.
• Preserved camp buildings: Surviving brick camp buildings and foundations remain in the grounds and are interpreted as part of the open-air memorial ensemble.