Holocaust education center prospective locations narrowed down by Yad Vashem to three German sites - Three potential German sites under consideration for a Holocaust education facility, chosen by Yad Vashem.
Yad Vashem to Establish Holocaust Education Center in Germany
Yad Vashem, an Israeli research and education institution, is planning to establish a Holocaust education center in Germany. The feasibility study for this potential center has examined numerous locations throughout the country, with the planning phase scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026.
The project is expected to strengthen partnerships between Yad Vashem and German institutions, enriching the memorial landscape in Germany upon establishment. Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan stated that the new education center will help counteract the dangerous phenomena of distortion and trivialization of the Holocaust.
The three possible locations being discussed in Germany for a Holocaust education center where the Israeli institution Yad Vashem will apply its educational expertise are the federal states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony. The feasibility study considers factors such as accessibility, opportunities for local partnerships, and the existing memorial landscape.
Federal Minister of Education Karin Prien has been a strong advocate for Holocaust education, describing it as empathy education. She highlighted that youth in Germany know too little about the Holocaust, as shown by recent studies. About 40% of Germans do not know that six million Jewish women and men were murdered during the time of National Socialism, according to Prien.
The idea for a Holocaust education center in Germany was first proposed in 2023, during a meeting between Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan and then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The potential education center in Germany would be the first time Yad Vashem uses its educational expertise outside of Israel.
Upon completion, the Holocaust education center is expected to attract visitors, particularly educators, from all over Germany and beyond. The center, according to Dayan, will serve as an important pillar in the fight against anti-Semitism. The feasibility study for the education center is still ongoing, and no specific location has been mentioned at this time.
