Conception

The conception of the memorial site is based on two central precepts: firstly, the exhibition should not be instantly visible as such, so as not to detract from the space’s overall effect as an historic building. Secondly, the space should also be usable as a venue for a range of events. This explains why the space feels as bare and bleak as an abandoned workplace. Six walk-through cubes made of raw steel demarcate a section of the total space. They symbolize the contours of the multiple bunk bed units that once stood there. The size of each cube is equivalent to the surface area of four prisoner bunk beds grouped together and 3-4 bunks stacked high. The narrow passages between the cubes and their steel walls are intended to evoke associations with the hopelessly cramped conditions of the prisoners’ accommodation.

The permanent exhibition documenting Drütte concentration camp is installed in the six steel cubes. Each cube contains a separate thematic complex: early history, living conditions, work, roll-call inspection, infirmary/evacuation and later history.

Informative texts, photos and documents introduce each theme. Further insight is offered by statements made by former inmates, representing a key component of the exhibition’s approach: by restoring names and identities to the inmates, individual human beings are able to emerge out of the faceless mass of victims.