Footsteps of WWII · Western & southern Germany
NS-Documentation Centre, Munich
Museum · 1919–1945
The story
Munich was where the Nazi Party was founded and where Hitler first made his name; his failed Beer Hall Putsch of 9 November 1923 ended in gunfire at the Feldherrnhalle. After 1933 the regime styled Munich the 'Capital of the Movement'. The party's national headquarters, the Brown House, stood on Brienner Straße beside Königsplatz, flanked by the party's own buildings and 'temples of honour'. The NS-Documentation Centre, opened on 30 April 2015, stands on the site of the Brown House. Its white cube looks out over the surviving party buildings and explains why the movement grew in this city, who supported it, and what it did to its victims.
What to look for
Four floors of exhibition, read from the top down, with windows framing the surviving Nazi buildings on Königsplatz. Afterwards walk round the square to the Führerbau (now a music school) and the stumps of the Ehrentempel foundations.
Plan your visit
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–19:00, also open on public holidays that fall on a Monday. Admission free. No booking needed for individuals. Check the website for temporary exhibitions.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
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