Yad Vashem to Open First Educational Centers Outside Israel in Munich and Leipzig

He added that the collaboration with German partners would help preserve the truth of the Holocaust for future generations. "Working together with our German partners, this center will help ensure that the truth of the Holocaust is preserved and passed on to future generations," Dayan said.

The initiative comes at a time when, according to Yad Vashem, distorted representations of Holocaust history are increasing worldwide and antisemitism is spreading further. Studies cited by the institution point to a rise in antisemitic attitudes and declining Holocaust awareness among young Germans.

Addressing Rising Antisemitism

German Education Minister Karin Prien emphasized the urgency of the project. She noted that young people in Germany know too little about the Shoah and the systematic murder of millions of Jews under National Socialism.

"Das Wissen über das, was war, ist wichtig, um das Übel in der Zukunft zu verhindern," Prien said, meaning that knowledge of the past is essential to prevent evil in the future.

Yael Richler-Friedman, Pedagogical Director of the International Institute for Holocaust Education at Yad Vashem, said the center would broaden Germany's remembrance culture. "Wir möchten mit dem Bildungszentrum ein größeres Bild als bisher in den Dialog der Erinnerungskultur in Deutschland einbringen. Das wird vor allem Stimmen der Opfer beinhalten und weniger der Täter," she said, indicating a shift toward including victims' voices rather than perpetrators'.

Leipzig's Historic Ariowitsch-Haus

The Leipzig branch will be housed in the Ariowitsch-Haus, a building with a layered history. Constructed from 1928 based on plans by Emil Franz Hänsel, it served as a Jewish retirement home from 1931, donated by the Ariowitsch entrepreneurial family.

In 1942, more than 100 residents and staff were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. The building was later used by the National Socialists as an office, and after World War II by both American and Soviet occupying powers. The Jewish community regained ownership in 1946, and it operated again as a retirement home until 1997.

Renovation work for the new center in Leipzig's Waldstraßenviertel district began in 2006, and the Ariowitsch-Haus currently serves as a center for Jewish culture and education.

Next Steps and Timeline

Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer called the Leipzig facility a great honor and obligation. "Teil des neuen Holocaust-Bildungszentrums in Deutschland zu sein, ist für Sachsen eine große Ehre und zugleich Verpflichtung," he said, adding that Leipzig could serve as a "Brücke nach Osteuropa" — a bridge to Eastern Europe.

According to the Ministry of Culture, next steps include clarifying financial and personnel questions, construction measures, and content coordination with the Munich site. The center could begin operations in two to three years.