Bergen-Belsen Memorial
Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen
A Nazi concentration camp site where Anne Frank died. Today the heath is dotted with mass graves and memorials.
During the Second World War, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp held about 120,000 people. More than 50,000 died there from starvation, disease and abuse, among them Anne Frank, author of The Diary of a Young Girl, and her sister Margot. The footage taken when British forces liberated the camp in 1945 shocked the world. The barracks were burned soon afterward to halt the spread of disease. Today the grounds are a quiet expanse of heather and pine woods, dotted with mass graves inscribed with the number of victims, obelisks, memorial walls and a memorial stone for the Frank sisters. The modern documentation centre tells the story through film, testimony and artifacts, with English-language explanations. Admission is free, and it is also open on Mondays. It is about 35 km from Soltau, so you will need a car.
Opening hours
About 10:00 am–6:00 pm (until 5:00 pm in winter)
Nearby sights
- Designer Outlet Soltau
- Spielmuseum Soltau
- Soltau Therme
- Heide Park Resort
- Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen
- German Tank Museum
- Weltvogelpark Walsrode
- Pietzmoor