Yad Vashem Selects Munich for First International Educational Center Outside Israel

Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan stated that Munich's selection carries "eine tiefe symbolische Bedeutung" (deep symbolic meaning) due to the city's significance in the rise of National Socialism. The NSDAP was founded in Munich in 1920, and Adolf Hitler began his rise to power there, with Nazi supporters later referring to the city as the "Hauptstadt der Bewegung" (Capital of the Movement).

Dayan said the decision comes "zu einem kritischen Zeitpunkt, an dem Instrumentalisierung oder Leugnung des Holocaust sowie Antisemitismus zunehmen" (at a critical time when instrumentalization or denial of the Holocaust and antisemitism are increasing). The center is intended to serve as a nationwide platform for audiences across Germany and neighboring countries.

Political Support and Financial Commitments

The Leipzig satellite location will feature interactive learning spaces and specifically target educators and young people. Saxon Minister-President Michael Kretschmer called the decision "eine große Ehre und zugleich Verpflichtung" (a great honor and obligation), adding that Leipzig could serve as "eine Brücke nach Osteuropa" (a bridge to Eastern Europe) and cooperate with Poland and the Czech Republic in remembrance work.

Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder called the selection an "Ehre" (honor) for his state. "Wir stehen zu unserer geschichtlichen Verantwortung: Die Gräuel des Nationalsozialismus dürfen sich niemals wiederholen" (We stand by our historical responsibility: The atrocities of National Socialism must never be repeated), Söder said, giving a personal "Schutzversprechen" (pledge of protection) for Yad Vashem in Bavaria.

The Bavarian government has provided a "finanzielle Zusicherung" (financial assurance) for the Munich center. The financing concept is in place, and the project is supported across party and state lines, defined as a nationwide task.

Federal Education Minister Karin Prien stated that the federal government will closely support the establishment of the Munich educational center. "Das Wissen über das, was war, ist wichtig, um das Übel in der Zukunft zu verhindern" (Knowledge of the past is important to prevent evil in the future), Prien said, noting that young people in Germany know "zu wenig über die Shoah und die systematische Ermordung von Millionen Juden im Nationalsozialismus" (too little about the Shoah and the systematic murder of millions of Jews under National Socialism).

Combating Antisemitism Through Education

The idea for a Yad Vashem educational center in Germany originated from a proposal by Chairman Dani Dayan, first made in 2023 during a meeting with then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Yad Vashem maintains long-standing cooperation agreements with all 16 German federal states.

Charlotte Knobloch, chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, praised the selection of Munich as the "richtige Entscheidung" (right decision), citing its history and role as a hub of Jewish life in Europe.

The educational offerings are aimed at educators throughout the region and in neighboring countries. The center will be open to everyone but will particularly target teachers, networking them with multipliers and educational institutions nationwide for modern forms of Holocaust education.

Yad Vashem's approach places the voices and experiences of Jewish victims at the center. The institution serves as a central memorial, houses major exhibitions, and operates as a research institute. Central Holocaust remembrance sites in Germany are primarily located at former concentration camp sites and in Berlin, which hosts the Holocaust Memorial and the Jewish Museum.

The establishment of the center responds to visibly growing antisemitism in Europe, on streets, in social networks, and at universities, as well as declining knowledge about the Shoah, especially among young people, as the generation of contemporary witnesses disappears.