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

A Response to Rising Antisemitism

The initiative comes at a time when studies point to a rise in antisemitic attitudes in Germany and declining Holocaust awareness among young Germans. Yad Vashem stated that this comes "in a time when distorted representations of Holocaust history are increasing worldwide and antisemitism is spreading further."

German Education Minister Karin Prien underscored the urgency of the project. "Knowledge of what was is important in order to prevent evil in the future," Prien said, adding that especially young people in Germany know too little about the Shoah and the systematic murder of millions of Jews under National Socialism.

Yael Richler-Friedman, Pedagogical Director of the International Institute for Holocaust Education at Yad Vashem, explained the center's educational philosophy. "We want to bring a larger picture into the dialogue of remembrance culture in Germany," she said, noting that this will primarily include voices of victims rather than perpetrators.

The Ariowitsch-Haus: A Site of Memory

The Leipzig facility will be established in the Ariowitsch-Haus on Hinrichsenstraße, a building donated by the Ariowitsch entrepreneurial family and constructed from 1928 according to plans by architect Emil Franz Hänsel. It housed a Jewish retirement home starting in 1931.

The building's history reflects the tragedy of the Holocaust: in 1942, more than 100 residents and staff were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. The building later served as a Nazi office, and after World War II was used by both American and Soviet occupying forces before the Jewish community regained ownership in 1946.

A retirement home operated there again until 1997, and renovation work for the new center in the Waldstraßenviertel began in 2006. The Ariowitsch-Haus currently serves as a center for Jewish culture and a place of education and encounter.

Political Support and Next Steps

Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer described the Leipzig facility as "a great honor and at the same time an obligation." He said Leipzig could serve as a "bridge to Eastern Europe" and emphasized that education and encounter are crucial to keep remembrance alive and to resolutely counter antisemitism, prejudice, disinformation, and any form of Holocaust relativization.

Dayan stressed the timeliness of the project. "As we move further away from the era of eyewitness accounts, historically grounded Holocaust education is more important than ever," he said. "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."

The announcement follows initial discussions in September 2025, when the head of Yad Vashem and the Federal Minister of Education first revealed plans for a German branch, with possible locations named as Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, or Saxony. The center could begin its work in two to three years.

Next steps include clarifying financial and personnel questions, construction measures, and content coordination between the Munich and Leipzig sites. Saxony's Culture Minister Conrad Clemens was scheduled to provide further details later on May 28.