Yad Vashem will establish a its first Holocaust Education Center outside Israel's borders in Munich, Germany, the organization announced.
The new center will strengthen Yad Vashem's global outreach and advance Holocaust education and remembrance, at a time of growing distortion and rising antisemitism worldwide.
Munuch was chosen after an extensive nationwide survey and rigorous field research, with support from the German government, Yad Vashem added.
The new Education Center, Yad Vashem's first outside Israel, will be established at Karolinenplatz in central Munich, Bavaria. The city was chosen for its strategic location and educational landscape, making it an ideal base for Holocaust education. Together with Yad Vashem’s expertise in remembrance, documentation, and teaching, the center is designed to have the greatest possible educational reach and impact.
Though located in Munich, it is intended to serve as a national platform for audiences across Germany and neighboring countries.
Yad Vashem will also offer to open an extension of its Education Center in Leipzig, Saxony, which will feature interactive learning spaces and will reach out to educators throughout the region and in neighboring countries. The Holocaust remembrance center also plans to broaden its long-standing educational partnership with North Rhine-Westphalia to start the process of developing the Yad Vashem Holocaust Education Center into a nationwide cooperation model.
"As we move further from the era of living survivor testimony, historically grounded Holocaust education is more important than ever," Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan said. "Through this Education Center, Yad Vashem will bring to Germany its unique educational approach at a critical juncture of growing Holocaust distortion, denial, and antisemitism. The choice of Munich, the birthplace of the Nazi Party, carries deep symbolic significance and reflects the importance of confronting this history where it began. Working together with our German partners, this center will help ensure that the truth of the Holocaust is preserved and passed on to future generations."
Federal Education Minister Karin Prien added, "The Yad Vashem educational center in Germany is entering its next phase. The aim is to strengthen Holocaust education and remembrance, and to combat antisemitism across Germany and Europe. Knowledge of the past is essential to preventing such evil in the future. Many young people in Germany still know too little about the Shoah - the systematic murder of millions of Jews under National Socialism. The Free State of Bavaria, and Minister-President Markus Söder personally, have for decades demonstrated a strong commitment to Jewish life in Germany and to the fight against antisemitism."
"Yad Vashem's educational expertise helps convey the perspective of the victims more effectively through innovative formats, and to train multipliers nationwide. The federal government will continue to support the establishment of the center and assist Yad Vashem in organizational and legal matters. In addition, pilot projects are being funded to enable the educational center to have an immediate impact. I would also like to extend special thanks to Michael Kretschmer and Hendrik Wüst. Through their strong support for their states’ applications, the Minister-Presidents of Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia have demonstrated that remembrance and the fight against antisemitism are national responsibilities. With an additional site in Leipzig, Yad Vashem will from the outset work conceptually for the entire country."
Kai Diekmann, Chairman of the Friends of Yad Vashem in Germany, noted, "We are delighted by the decision to open Yad Vashem's new Education Center in Germany. This reflects the deep trust between Yad Vashem and Germany and builds on many years of successful collaboration. We extend our gratitude to the previous German government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and in particular to Andreas Görgen, who paved the way for this cooperation. We also thank the current German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer, who with great dedication laid the groundwork for the project, and Minister of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Karin Prien, who continues to support and promote the Education Center."
The idea of opening a Holocaust Education Center in Germany was first raised during a 2023 meeting between Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan and Germany's chancellor at the time, Olaf Scholz. It has since been endorsed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Federal Education Minister Karin Prien, and federal and state leadership.
After an initial feasibility study, Yad Vashem announced in September 2025 that it had shortlisted the states of Bavaria, Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia as possible locations. Yad Vashem's teams carried out intensive desk research, two on-site visits, and consultations with local authorities and prospective partners. Munich was chosen for its strategic location in Germany and Europe, its suitable infrastructure, its ability to meet security needs, the center’s potential to integrate into the educational system, the network of relevant organizations in the area, its unique historical context, and Bavaria's financial commitment.
The Education Center is expected to open within three years.