Exhibition prototype: The White Buses – One of the Largest Rescue Actions of the Second World War

In January 2025, the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial showed the exhibition “The White Buses – One of the Largest Rescue Actions of the Second World War” about the evacuation of thousands of Scandinavian prisoners shortly before the end of the war to Sweden.

What was special: Because the exhibition was a prototype, visitors had the opportunity to share their opinions and feedback with the curators. From there, an adapted version of the outdoor exhibition for the 3rd and 4th of May 2025 was developed to be presented during the memorial services for the 80th anniversary of the prisoner’s liberation from the Neuengamme concentration camp. But this version is not the final product: we are looking for further feedback so we can continue to develop the prototype as a model for outdoor exhibitions.

Next to the German-English-Danish text, the exhibition uses numerous visual sources, a digital application that can be used with your phone, as well as “hands-on” elements. These are accompanied by a specially composed soundscape and light installation.

Rescue by the White Buses

Danes and Norwegian were imprisoned in many camps across the German Reich, most of them due to their resistance against their German occupiers. In the Neuengamme concentration camp and its subcamps, there were more than 2,400 Danish prisoners. After difficult negotiations with the SS, the Swedish Red Cross successfully negotiated permission to evacuate Scandinavian prisoners. The Neuengamme concentration camp became the central collection point and the so-called “Scandinavian camp” was to be set up here.

For the entire rescue action, the buses from the Swedish Red Cross were allowed to be painted white to show they were non-combatants. By the 20th April, more than 4,000 Scandinavian prisoners and 11,000 prisoners from other backgrounds had been evacuated. After a stop in Denmark, where the prisoners were greeted by the town’s joyous population, it continued on to Sweden. The outdoor exhibition tells this multi-faceted history.

Exhibition: The “White Buses” – one of the largest Rescue Actions of the Second World War.

Location: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, near the brick factory

Date: 3. and 4. May, 2025

Admission: free

Further information: HERE (only in German)