A New Country Memorial Plaque at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial

The International Monument

The protected monument at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, the International Monument, was erected by the City of Hamburg in 1965 through an initiative from the „Amicale Internationale KZ Neuengamme (AIN)“. Part of the historical collection are also 22 commemorative stones, which name 26 countries of origins for the prisoners kept at the Neuengamme concentration camp, including the former socialist states of the Soviet Union (»CCCP«), Yugoslavia (»Jugoslavija«) and Czechoslovakia (»CSSR«).

Expansion of the Collection through Research

The expansion of the collection in 2025 takes into account the states created after 1989/90 and recognizes groups of victims not represented by the 1965 installation. Preparations for the expansion were made through research on the birthplaces of prisoners at the Neuengamme concentration camp and their locations on contemporary maps.

Research into approximately 23,000 available data records of former prisoners resulted in 70 names of countries. In addition to the post-socialist states are also countries on the continents of Africa and Asia. This is because some prisoners were born in former colonial territories and resided in states which were invaded or were at war with Germany and later came to a German concentration camp.

The memorial wishes to enable a multi-national commemoration with the new country monument which corrects the heterogenous representation of prisoners as well as represents the contemporary existence of these countries -- especially within the post-socialist world.

Unveiling of the New Country Memorial Plaque

The New Country Memorial Plaque will be publicly celebrated on May 4th, 2025. The event takes place in the House of Remembrance and ends with a commemoration at the New Country Memorial Plaque. Information and Registration