Munich Documentation Centre
for the History of National Socialism

The Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism opened its doors to the public on May 1, 2015.

It is a place to remember the history of National Socialism and was built upon the site of the former "Brown House" that had been the headquarters of the NSDAP party. The museum is located near Königsplatz right next to the two Glyptothek and National Collection of Antiques.

In theory you could visit all three museums in one day, but I don't recommend it. Each of them is enough to keep you occupied for several hours, and especially after visiting the National Socialism Documentation Centre you might need some fresh air and a good coffee to find back to the present day.

While it isn't scary or harrowing like the Dachau Concentration Camp, a visit to the NS Dokumentationszentrum will leave you thinking - and not in a joyful way.

Munich unfortunately played a major role in the rise and establishment of the Nazi regime as it hosted the headquarters of the NSDAP party. Hitler later gave Munich the name "Capital of the Movement" to show his gratitude to the city for being the nucleus of his path to power.

The "Brown House" soon became a symbol of angst and terror, because many political opponents of the Third Reich were imprisoned and tortured in its cellars.

Shortly after the opening I visited the museum - alone. I was reluctant to bring my 5-year-old son, afraid it would be too harrowing for the child. But it turned out, you can bring kids of any age to the museum without a problem.

Even though the history of the National Socialism is explained in detail, the exhibits do not show the committed atrocities in pictures nor do the written explanations go into too much detail.

The permanent exhibition has explanations in both English and German and is spread out over four floors with different focuses. You start your visit in the forth floor and work your way down.

Origins and Rise of the Nazi Movement
The first part is about the origins and rise of the Nazi movement in Munich from 1918 to 1933, emphasizing how losing World War I and the Great Depression were the breeding grounds for radical movements.

Dictatorship and the Society in National Socialism
On the third floor you're taken to the time when the Nazis were in power from 1933 to 1939. The focus here is on dictatorship and the society in National Socialism. It portrays how things slowly but surely became violent and full of terror - for everyone.

Munich and the War
Down on the second floor you'll find the time from the beginning of World War II until the collapse of the regime in 1945. Description of war crimes, forced labor, but also individual cases of resistance are showcased.

Dealing with the Nazi Era after 1945
De-Nazification and democratisation were the keywords after the war. The city of Munich faced many difficulties in accepting its role in National Socialism and also in confronting the challenges that arose after the war.

What struck me was the many examples presented of how people were eager to deny their own guilt and their role in the happenings. More often than not they would claim to not have known, or have been forced to participate.

The public opinion back then vacillated between denial, business as usual or coming to terms with the past and accepting responsibility.

Apart form the permanent exhibition there's a changing special exhibition in the ground floor, and several lectures or book readings per month. Those are usually in German, though.

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