Erinnerungsort Topf & Söhne

About

The Erinnerungsort Topf & Söhne in Erfurt is a memorial and museum that confronts one of the darkest chapters of German history. Located in the former factory of the Topf & Söhne company, the site documents how engineers and managers collaborated with the SS in designing crematoria and ventilation systems for concentration camps, including Auschwitz. Through authentic rooms, documents, and multimedia installations, the exhibition reveals the role of ordinary professionals in enabling mass murder, highlighting the dangers of moral indifference and complicity. Today, the memorial serves as a place of remembrance and education, encouraging reflection on responsibility, ethics, and human dignity. By preserving this industrial site, Erfurt has created a powerful space that ensures the crimes of the past are neither forgotten nor repeated.

Erfurt Germany

Location

The Erinnerungsort Topf & Söhne in Erfurt is located at Sorbenweg 7, just south of the inner Old Town of Erfurt. This memorial site occupies the former administrative building of the J.A. Topf & Söhne company, which was infamous for manufacturing crematoria ovens used by the SS in Nazi concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Nearby, visitors can find Erfurt's historic Old Town with its quaint streets and squares, and the memorial is accessible by bus line 9 from the main station, stopping at Spielbergtor. The site provides free admission and offers a poignant exhibition covering the company's history and its role during the Holocaust, serving as a place of reflection and education within a quiet neighborhood setting with available parking.