House of the Wannsee Conference

– © Gedenk- und Bildungsstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz

On 20th January 1942 a fateful meeting of high officials from the Nazi Ministries and the SS was held in the Minoux villa by the Wannsee waterside. Under the direction of SS Obergruppenführer (SS rank equivalent to full General) Reinhard Heidrich, negotiations took place on the organised deportation and murder (the “Final Solution”) of European Jews in the occupied areas of Poland and Eastern Europe.

1992 was the 50th anniversary of the so-called “Wannsee Conference”. A memorial site was opened in the villa on the occasion of this dreadful jubilee. On display is the permanent exhibition “Die Wannsee-Konferenz und der Völkermord an den europäischen Juden” (The Wannsee Conference and the Genocide of the European Jews). In addition, there are also changing exhibitions on the subject of the Holocaust as well as a library.

Information for school classes

The Memorial offers a special service for school classes and youth groups: guided tours of two to three hour duration, or topic-focused tours special adapted according to the youngsters’ state of knowledge (for secondary levels I and II), as well as complete study days are all possible.