When the Second World War ended in 1945, Europe lay in ruins. The persecution and murder of millions of Jews, as well as the devastation and exploitation of countries occupied by the Nazis, was not spoken about in Germany. German society suppressed any sense of its own responsibility for these crimes. Worse still, many perpetrators regained influence in key areas of society and continued their careers undisturbed.
The new travelling exhibition explores how East and West Germany have dealt with the Nazi past since 1945, while asking how we want to remember this chapter of German history in the future. Key themes also include the prosecution of Nazi crimes, the treatment of perpetrators and survivors, and the struggle over memorial sites. The exhibition centres the voices of young people and especially targets a younger audience. “The Nazis Didn’t Just Disappear” was developed with pupils from across Germany. They selected the majority of the 120 exhibits. The Alfred Landecker Foundation is funding the exhibition.
Foto: Stiftung Topographie des Terrors / Manuela Seeger
Foto: Stiftung Topographie des Terrors / Manuela Seeger
When Perpetrators Are Part of a Democratic New Beginning
From 2 July 2025 to 11 January 2026, the travelling exhibition will be on display at the Topography of Terror Documentation Centre in Berlin. At the opening, Dr Andrea Riedle, Director of the Topography of Terror Foundation; Dr Mathias Rösch, Head of the Nuremberg School Museum; and Lena Altman, Co-CEO of the Alfred Landecker Foundation, each gave a welcome address.
In her speech, Lena Altman addressed how many perpetrators remained unpunished after 1945 and once again gained influence in key areas of society: “These are stories you can hardly believe. But the grim reality is that this is exactly what happened. That’s why this travelling exhibition is so important. It brings these stories to light and shows that countless perpetrators were able to continue their careers after 1945 without facing consequences—in the justice system, in government, in politics, in medicine. In other words, in exactly those areas that form the backbone of a democratic society.”
An Exhibition Created by Young People, for Young People
After the opening speeches, four students from the Kant-Gymnasium school in Berlin took part in a discussion, sharing their experiences in the exhibition design workshops. They wanted to keep text to a minimum and include plenty of audiovisual material, along with themed tables where visitors could sit, reflect and discuss.
After Berlin, the next stops for the travelling exhibition will be the Museum of Communication in Frankfurt in January 2026 and the Documentation Centre at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg in autumn 2026. Further information is available in German on the Nuremberg School Museum’s website.