160,000 euros for Memorial Sachsenhausen: Sturm leaves serious damage

160,000 euros for Memorial Sachsenhausen: Sturm leaves serious damage

The Sachsenhausen memorial suffered serious damage from a storm that moved across the region on June 26, 2025. In particular, the former prisoner laundry was massively damaged when the roof skin from tar cardboard was completely demolished. Heavy rain let water penetrate into the listed building, which led to considerable damage to the hall blanket, which was designed in 1961 from triangular elements. These circumstances make the use of the building problematic as an event hall and for workshop exhibitions.

In addition, the memorial has to deal with minor damage to a watchtower. Fallow trees and numerous branches reinforce the problem. A large panel of an open-air exhibition that is reminiscent of the 80th anniversary of the liberation was even blown. Fortunately, the original exponates of the workshop exhibition in the foyer remained undamaged and could be stored safely in a depot. At the time of the storm, there were no visitors to the memorial, which reduced the possible consequences of the event.

Financial support for recovery

The state government caused this damage to provide around 160,000 euros for the removal of the storm damage. Minister of Culture Manja Schüle (SPD) will officially hand over the funding in Oranienburg on Wednesday. The total damage has so far been estimated at at least 100,000 euros, while a more precise amount is not yet quantified at the current time.

The funds are part of a larger program in which the Ministry of Culture is providing a total of around 1.87 million euros to secure threatened monuments this year. This money will be used to support around 40 urgent projects throughout Germany. The Sachsenhausen Memorial is just one of many objects that could benefit from the Special Monument Protection Program XIII, whose applications are currently no longer being accepted.

Outlook on the future

The memorial also has ambitious plans for the future. A new visitor center is to be built by 2030, the costs of which are to be shared between the state and the federal government. At the beginning of August, selected designs were already presented by architects who present the design of the new center. These investment measures aim to secure and maintain the cultural heritage and the memorial in the long term.

Currently, large areas of the memorial are closed due to the damage to visitor traffic. The low visitor volume on the following day of the storm was also affected by construction work and disorders in S-Bahn traffic. Those responsible do everything they can to the fact that the memorial will soon be fully accessible again in order to keep the significant story alive for future generations.

More information about supporting monuments is available on the Ministry of Culture website, where further details on application deadlines and funding programs can be provided here.

For further information on current developments at the Sachsenhausen Memorial, please also visit the website Sachsenhausen and rbb24.