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

Dayan also emphasized the urgency of the project as the generation of Holocaust survivors dwindles. He said: "Da wir uns immer weiter von der Ära der Zeitzeugenberichte entfernen, ist eine historisch fundierte Holocaust-Bildung wichtiger denn je."

The institution stated that the expansion comes at a critical moment. Yad Vashem noted: "Dies geschieht in einer Zeit, in der weltweit verzerrte Darstellungen der Geschichte des Holocaust zunehmen und der Antisemitismus sich weiter ausbreitet."

A Building with a Painful Past

German Education Minister Karin Prien underscored the domestic need for the initiative. She said: "Das Wissen über das, was war, ist wichtig, um das Übel in der Zukunft zu verhindern. Dabei wissen gerade junge Menschen in Deutschland zu wenig über die Shoah und die systematische Ermordung von Millionen Juden im Nationalsozialismus."

The Leipzig branch will be located in the Ariowitsch-Haus on Hinrichsenstraße. The building, designed by Emil Franz Hänsel and constructed in 1928, was donated by the Ariowitsch family and served as a Jewish retirement home from 1931. In 1942, more than 100 residents and staff were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

After the deportation, the building was used by the National Socialists as an office, and later by both American and Soviet occupying forces. The Jewish community regained ownership in 1946, and it operated again as a retirement home until 1997. Renovation work began in 2006, and the building now serves as a center for Jewish culture and education.

A New Pedagogical Approach

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer called the Leipzig facility a profound responsibility. "Teil des neuen Holocaust-Bildungszentrums in Deutschland zu sein, ist für Sachsen eine große Ehre und zugleich Verpflichtung," he said. Kretschmer added that Leipzig could serve as a "Brücke nach Osteuropa."

Yael Richler-Friedman, Pedagogical Director of the International Institute for Holocaust Education at Yad Vashem, explained the pedagogical shift the center will bring. She said: "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."

Next Steps and Timeline

The Munich location was selected for practical and strategic reasons. According to Yad Vashem, "München wurde aufgrund seiner strategisch günstigen Lage und seiner Bildungslandschaft ausgewählt, was die Stadt zu einem idealen Standort für die Holocaust-Bildung macht."

The centers aim to counter what Yad Vashem describes as a growing distortion of Holocaust history. The institution stated it seeks to "sein weltweites Engagement in der Holocaust-Bildung und Erinnerungsarbeit verstärken."

Next steps involve clarifying financial and personnel questions, construction measures, and content coordination between the two sites, according to the Ministry of Culture. The center could begin operations within two to three years.