Documentation Centre
To this day, in Nuremberg's southern districts, the remains of the buildings on the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds with their immense proportions are a vivid testimony to the megalomania of the National Socialist regime. This area of eleven square kilometres was intended as an impressive backdrop for the Nazi party rallies staged here to demonstrate their power.
The Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds, often shortened to Dokuzentrum (Docu Centre), is located in the north wing of the Congress Hall, designed by the National Socialists to house 50,000 spectators, remained unfinished, though. With its "glass and steel arrow", piercing the north wing, the Documentation Centre is a widely visible architectural counterpoint.
On 1,300 square meters, the permanent exhibition "Fascination and Terror" looks at the causes, the context and the consequences of the National Socialist reign of terror.
It focuses on the topics which have a direct link to Nuremberg, and is centred on 19 exhibition areas which are structured in chronological order: the history of the party rallies, the buildings of the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, the "Nuremberg Racial Laws" of 1935, the "Nuremberg Trials" of the main perpetrators of Nazi crimes in 1945/46 and the twelve follow-up trials, as well as the difficult problem of dealing with the National Socialists' architectural heritage after 1945.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the affiliated Education Forum is of essential importance for the Documentation Centre's educational work.
In special seminar rooms on the roof of the Congress Hall, nuremberg municipal museums, in co-operation with various partners, offer in-depth educational programmes for school classes, groups of young people and adults. The portfolio of programmes ranges from 45 minute sessions after an exhibition visit to entire seminar days.
Since May 2006, a comprehensive information system (German/ English) located at various points throughout the NaziParty Rally Grounds offers all visitors the opportunity of an in-depth look at the Nazi Party Rallies on the spot.