Memorium Nuremberg Trials
Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse | |
.jpg) Palace of Justice in Nuremberg with billboards of the Memorium Nuremberg Trials | |
| Established | 21 November 2010 |
|---|---|
| Location | Nuremberg |
| Coordinates | 49°27′16″N 11°02′54″E / 49.4544°N 11.0483°E |
| Type | Historical |
| Visitors | 158,000 (2024) |
| Director | Nina Lutz |
| Architect | Hugo von Höfl |
| Owner | City of Nuremberg |
| Website | https://museums.nuernberg.de/memorium-nuremberg-trials/ |
The Memorium Nuremberg Trials is a museum located in the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg. It provides information about the Nuremberg Trials, which took place at the historic site from 1945 to 1949.
History of the museum
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In May 2000, the museums of the city of Nuremberg started offering public guided tours of Courtroom 600 in the Nuremberg courthouse "Palace of Justice". In the beginning those tours only happened on weekends and enjoyed growing visitor numbers from year to year...[1]
The tours were conducted by the historical society "Geschichte Für Alle".[2]
The constantly increasing number of visitors led to the realisation that the associated obligation to provide appropriate historical education had to be taken seriously. In May 2005, the Board of Trustees of the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds presented the ‘Memorium Nuremberg Trials’ project to the public for the first time. After the necessary commitments to finance the construction costs had been obtained from the Free State of Bavaria and the Federal Government, the concept for the new permanent exhibition could be drawn up in December 2007.
In December 2008, clearance, demolition, building and construction work began in the attic of the Nuremberg courthouse, which continued until 2010. On 21 November 2010, the permanent exhibition Memorium Nuremberg Trials was opened with a ceremony.[3]
Since March 2020, Courtroom 600 has no longer been used for court hearings. It has been integrated into the permanent exhibition and is now open to visitors of the museum.[4]
In January 2026 it was announced that the financing of an expansion of the permanent exhibition was approved by The Federal Government of Germany.[5]
Permanent Exhibition
The permanent exhibition, located in the attic of the east wing of the courthouse above Courtroom 600, provides information about the background, course and aftermath of the trials.[6] Selected objects, such as parts of the original dock and historical audio and film documents, convey a vivid impression of the proceedings.[7]
With a few exceptions, the exhibition design deliberately avoids the use of objects in favour of a documentary character. A factual presentation is intended to give visitors the opportunity to form their own ‘judgement’ about the confrontation with Nazi crimes. The most important exhibit is Room 600 itself.[8]
The museum puts a particular focus on an international audience[9]
Modern Day International Criminal Law
The exhibition also shows the direct and indirect connections between the Nuremberg Trials and modern day International Criminal Law and the creation of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. That connection is shown particularly in the installation „Zeitreise Saal 600 | Courtroom 600: Time Travel“, which was installed in Courtroom 600 in November 2022.[10]
Trivia
Russell Crowe secretly visited the museum in connection with his role in the film Nuremberg.[11]
References
- ↑ Schmidt, Alexander. "»Nürnberg« im Museum – das Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse". Gedenkstättenrundbrief 162, p. 30 to 35 (in German). Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Kasparek, Katrin (1 December 2010). "Geschichte Für Alle im »Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse«" (PDF). Geschichtsrundbrief (Historical Bulletin) (in German). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Kastenhuber, Hans-Peter (19 November 2010). "Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse soll noch einzigartiger werden: Das hat die Stadt geplant". Nordbayern.de (in German). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Carrell, Thomas (17 July 2020). "Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse: Das gibt es zu sehen". Nordbayern.de (in German). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Munkert, Andrea (14 January 2026). "Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse soll noch einzigartiger werden: Das hat die Stadt geplant". Nordbayern.de (in German). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Kastenhuber, Hans-Peter (21 November 2010). "Das Memorium: Ein Dachboden voller Weltgeschichte". Nordbayern.de (in German). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ "Exhibition Concept". Website of the museum. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ "Exhibition Concept". Website of the museum. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Carrell, Thomas (17 July 2020). "Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse: Das gibt es zu sehen". Nordbayern.de (in German). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ "Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse eröffnet Medieninstallation „Zeitreise Saal 600"". ProMediaNews.de (in German). 29 November 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Ford, Lily (25 September 2025). "James Vanderbilt on How Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon Nailed That 'Nuremberg' Courtroom Showdown". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 March 2026.