Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum Emslandlager

The Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Emslandlager is a non-profit documentation and information centre based in Papenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. It grew out of the Aktionskomitee für ein DIZ Emslandlager e. V., an association founded in 1981 by survivors of the Emsland camps together with Rosalinde von Ossietzky-Palm, daughter of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Carl von Ossietzky, and engaged citizens from the Emsland, East Frisia and Oldenburg regions. The association is a private, recognised non-profit organisation and the legal sponsor of the DIZ. The centre's mission is to examine the history of the 15 National Socialist forced camps in the Emsland, to research and communicate that regional example of Nazi history, and to connect this historical work with engagement against undemocratic developments and neo-fascist dangers in the present. Its work includes exhibitions, educational materials for schools, seminars, lectures, guided tours of former camp sites, and cooperation with survivors and their families. After efforts to establish a memorial at the historical site of the Esterwegen camp repeatedly met with resistance, the association rented a Papenburg Fehnhaus in 1984 and created its own place of remembrance, information and research. A first provisional permanent exhibition, developed in cooperation with the University of Oldenburg, opened in 1985. In 1993 the district of Emsland, with financial support from the state of Lower Saxony and the city of Papenburg, provided the DIZ with a new building, and a permanent exhibition was opened there in September 1993 during an international meeting of former prisoners. From 2009 the Gedenkstätte Esterwegen was established on the site of the former Esterwegen camp, and it was officially reopened on 31 October 2011 as a memorial representing all 15 Emsland camps. With the opening of that memorial, the DIZ gave up its exhibition at its previous location after 26 years. The Stiftung Gedenkstätte Esterwegen terminated the DIZ's office in the memorial with short notice effective 15 June 2023, temporarily putting the DIZ's existence at risk. In April 2024 the DIZ rented new premises in Papenburg, and since 1 June 2024 it has again been located in the city of Papenburg. In 2026 the Stiftung Niedersachsen recognised the DIZ Emslandlager in Papenburg as a "Niedersächsischer Kulturort" (Lower Saxon cultural site).

The Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Emslandlager emerged from the Aktionskomitee für ein DIZ Emslandlager e. V., an association founded in 1981 with substantial support from former "Moorsoldaten" (moor soldiers) and prisoners of the Emsland camps. The association is a private, recognised non-profit organisation and the sponsor of the DIZ. Its purpose is to engage with the history of the 15 National Socialist forced camps in the Emsland, to work through the National Socialist past using this regional example, and to include in its historical work an examination of undemocratic developments and neo-fascist dangers of the present. Before the association was founded in 1981, civil-society actors had already been working together with survivors to commemorate the Emsland camps. A first major event of the memorial movement took place in 1977 at the University of Oldenburg, closely connected with efforts to name the university after Carl von Ossietzky. Survivors, together with the General Students' Committee (AStA) of the University of Oldenburg, the Bund der demokratischen Wissenschaftler, the youth organisation of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Oldenburg city student council, organised seminars and a first exhibition with artworks, including by Ernst Walsken and Hanns Kralik. Around the same time, history students Elke Suhr and Oriana Sieling began conducting life-history interviews with survivors. The following year, the Young Socialists in the Emsland and East Frisia held first commemorative events at the Bockhorst/Esterwegen cemetery, and the Emsland journalist Hermann Vinke published his biography of Carl von Ossietzky. The engagement with Carl von Ossietzky united the actors from Oldenburg and Emsland/East Frisia, so that in early 1979 they founded the "Arbeitskreis Carl von Ossietzky Emsland/Ostfriesland", supported by Rosalinde von Ossietzky-Palm. At the end of 1979 the working group called for a "Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum Emslandlager". Both in content and personnel, the working group was thus the predecessor of the Aktionskomitee für ein DIZ Emslandlager e. V. With the founding of the Aktionskomitee für ein DIZ Emslandlager e. V. in 1981, the actors of the memorial movement made their goals concrete. Efforts to establish a memorial at the historical sites (for example on the grounds of the former Esterwegen camp, which was used by the Bundeswehr) initially failed. The volunteers therefore initially concentrated on researching the Emsland camps and on educational work. In 1981 and 1982 the Aktionskomitee organised work camps at former camp sites together with Service Civil International and the Bremen regional youth office. It also offered camp tours, organised seminars and lectures, and produced educational materials for schools. In 1984 the Aktionskomitee für ein DIZ Emslandlager e. V. rented a house in Papenburg with its own funds and was able to employ two staff members through job-creation measures. In cooperation with the University of Oldenburg they developed a first provisional permanent exhibition, which opened in 1985. It displayed self-testimonies of former prisoners and inmates of the Emsland camps that survivors and relatives had made available to the DIZ. For the permanent exhibition of 1993, the district of Emsland, with financial support from the state of Lower Saxony and the city of Papenburg, provided the DIZ with a new building. The opening took place in September 1993 during an international meeting of former prisoners. Text panels and reading desks on the theme of "camp life" were installed. Numerous exhibits showed the history of the camps and their prisoners. In a second exhibition room, special exhibitions by other institutions and the DIZ's own exhibitions on various National Socialist aspects were offered in rotation. The Stiftung Gedenkstätte Esterwegen terminated the DIZ Emslandlager's office in the memorial with short notice effective 15 June 2023. As a result, the DIZ's existence was temporarily endangered. In April 2024 the DIZ rented new premises in Papenburg. Since 1 June 2024 the DIZ Emslandlager has again been located at its old location, the city of Papenburg. In 2026 the Stiftung Niedersachsen recognised the Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum Emslandlager in Papenburg as a "Niedersächsischer Kulturort". From 2009 the Gedenkstätte Esterwegen was established on the grounds of the Esterwegen concentration camp. Its design is intended to create the impression of an endless moorland, a "desolate heath". Different gravel grain sizes on the paths make the death strips visible. After three years of construction, the memorial on the grounds of the former Esterwegen concentration and penal camp was reopened on 31 October 2011, representing all 15 Emsland camps. These existed from 1933 to 1945 in changing functions, extending into the county of Bentheim. In the presence of Lower Saxony's Minister-President David McAllister, the memorial was officially inaugurated in a ceremonial act. The costs of establishing the memorial, amounting to 5.8 million euros, were shared by the federal government (2.5 million euros) and the district of Emsland, the state of Lower Saxony and various Lower Saxon foundations. With the opening of the memorial, the DIZ Emslandlager gave up its exhibition at its previous location after 26 years.

• 2026

  Stiftung Niedersachsen recognises the DIZ Emslandlager in Papenburg as a "Niedersächsischer Kulturort".

• 2025

  Ben Gattermann becomes chairman of the association.

• 2024

  The DIZ rents new premises in Papenburg in April and returns to its old location in the city of Papenburg on 1 June.

• 2023

  The Stiftung Gedenkstätte Esterwegen terminates the DIZ's office with short notice effective 15 June, temporarily endangering the DIZ's existence.

• 2011

  The Gedenkstätte Esterwegen is officially reopened on 31 October, representing all 15 Emsland camps; the DIZ gives up its exhibition after 26 years.

• 2009

  The Gedenkstätte Esterwegen begins to be established on the grounds of the former Esterwegen camp.

• 1993

  A new building provided by the district of Emsland opens with a permanent exhibition during an international meeting of former prisoners.

• 1985

  A first provisional permanent exhibition, developed with the University of Oldenburg, opens.

• 1984

  The association rents a Papenburg Fehnhaus and creates its own place of remembrance, information and research.

• 1981

  The Aktionskomitee für ein DIZ Emslandlager e. V. is founded by survivors, Rosalinde von Ossietzky-Palm and engaged citizens.

• 1979

  The "Arbeitskreis Carl von Ossietzky Emsland/Ostfriesland" is founded and calls for a "Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum Emslandlager".

• 1977

  A first major event of the memorial movement takes place at the University of Oldenburg, connected with efforts to name the university after Carl von Ossietzky.

A non-profit remembrance, documentation and civic-education institution focused on the National Socialist Emsland camps, operating independently under a non-profit association and linking historical research with present-day engagement against anti-democratic and neo-fascist developments.

• Permanent exhibition on the history of the Emsland camps

  A permanent exhibition first opened in 1985 and renewed in 1993, presenting the history of the 15 Emsland camps and their prisoners through text panels, reading desks and numerous exhibits.

• Special and temporary exhibitions

  Rotating special exhibitions by other institutions and the DIZ's own exhibitions on various National Socialist aspects.

• Educational materials for schools

  Materials produced by the Aktionskomitee for use in schools.

• Seminars, lectures and camp tours

  Educational events and guided tours of former camp sites offered by the association.

1. 1DIZ • DIZ Emslandlagerdiz-emslandlager.de
2. 2Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum Emslandlagerwikidata.org
3. 3DIZ Emslandlagerde.wikipedia.org