The NS Documentation Centre
The NS Documentation Centre is an institution of the City of Cologne. It was established by a city council resolution on 13 December 1979. The NS Documentation Centre’s work is equally dedicated to commemorate, communicate and research the NS era in Cologne: The Centre is a place of commemoration, learning and research all in one. The NS Documentation Centre, which has received numerous awards, is the largest local memorial in Germany today.
From the niche to the centre
The establishment of the NS Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne is itself a typical example of the politics of memory in Germany. It could not have been established without citizen involvement, nor could it continue without this important element today. The history of the EL-DE House after 1945 and the development of the NS Documentation Centre are closely linked. The council of the City of Cologne decided on 13 December 1979 »to establish a documentation centre on the era of National Socialism in Cologne«. In addition, it was decided to renovate the basement of the EL-DE House, to establish an information site on the victims of National Socialism and to install a commemorative plaque on the outside wall of the EL-DE House (see page 18– 21). This was a visionary decision. The council realised that it would make little sense to establish a memorial site immediately due to the poor resources available – as a result of the war and the neglect thereafter – and insufficient knowledge that was available of the NS era at that time. In fact, a position in the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne was filled with Horst Matzerath, who later became the first director of the NS Documentation Centre, on 1 October 1980. Initially, he believed that it was his main task to build up a ‘compensatory documentation’ on the NS era in Cologne based on reviews of out-of-town and foreign archive collections.
But for many years there was no talk of a ‘centre’: For quite a long time the demand for establishment of a documentation centre was deemed satisfied due to the creation of this post and Matzerath’s subsequent appointment. In 1985 a group of committed citizens founded the initiative for the establishment of a NS documentation centre and organised demonstrations and other activities. This was again a decisive step forward. In early 1988 this initiative resulted in the Friends of the NS Documentation Centre association, the EL-DE House Association. In October 1985 the City’s culture committee decided that the expansion, or rather the establishment, of the NS Documentation Centre be reviewed. On 1 July 1986 two researchers and two further employees started their work on the memorial book on Jewish victims from Cologne, which had already started a few years earlier; another historian started his work on the topic of forced labour in 1987. All five of them were employed and paid under the job creation scheme, which was being widely implemented at that time. The final decision was taken on 11 June 1987 the city council finally decided, for the second time since 1979, to establish the NS Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne, this time however the centre was actually to be created. Two additional research positions as well as one position each for a librarian and a secretary were created. The position of a museum educator, which the City intended to create, was not filled; merely funds were provided for guided tours instead. This was a serious mistake that was only corrected in 2003 with the creation of a part-time position for a museum educator, which in 2008 finally became a full-time position.
On 19 September 1988, the staff of the EL-DE House moved into the premises – offices on the ground floor, a small library and a room for group work on the first floor. It took another nine years until – in June 1997 – the new permanent exhibition was opened, as the owners of the building refused implementation of the necessary conversion measures for a long time.
Position as an institution:
The NS Documentation Centre had to fight hard for its position within the city administration. Its role within the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne was difficult to define – at best it was part of the department of modern history, not however an independent unit but rather a foreign body within the Archive. The move to the EL-DE House started the disengagement process. Within the city administration the NS Documentation Centre was called ‘4105/NS Documentation Centre’ with the unit number of the Historical Archive as a prefix; this type of name was unusual. It was only on 1 April 1997 that the Centre became independent and received its own unit number (initially 4104, later 4102), as a part of the office of arts and culture; but in fact it was subordinated to the cultural department for many years. From an organisational point of view – now under number 4520 – the NS Documentation Centre has been part of the group of Cologne museums since 1August 2008 – as the ninth museum in addition to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum or the Cologne City Museum.
As an agency of the city administration the NS Documentation Centre is in charge of topics relating to the NS past of the city. Among other things, this includes statements on the naming of streets, memorial plaques and memorial sites as well as the arts competition organised by the Centre on the occasion of the establishment of the memorial for the victims of the NS military justice system, which was inaugurated on 1 September 2009. Participation in city events, projects or the preparation of draft speeches are also tasks of the Centre.
The establishment of the Centre was lengthy and difficult; for many years the NS Documentation Centre also had to cope with very limited funds. It only became possible over the past few years – thanks to the increased budgets for arts and culture – to create new jobs and lease additional space.
Today’s profile: Trinity of memorial – learning – research
Today’s profile of the institution is ambitious and comprehensive: It is a place of commemoration, learning and research all in one.
Place of commemoration
The Gestapo prison memorial with its unique collection of inscriptions and drawings of prisoners is a cultural monument of national and European standing. The memorial is the Gestapo’s own prison in the basement of the building and includes the cells and inscriptions of the victims. As an authentic site, it is both the starting point and centrepiece of the NS Documentation Centre.
Place of learning
An essential part of the activities of the NS Documentation Centre is education, above all – but not exclusively – for youths and students. The memorial and the permanent exhibition are at the heart of this place of learning and information.
Place for research
As its name suggests, right from the start the NS Documentation Centre has also been a place for research. Its purpose was, and still is above all the review, collection and preser - vation of materials (files, documents, artefacts and photographs as well as books and brochures) and the recording and evaluation of those in databases. The results of this research work have an impact on all areas in which the Centre is active, on the publications and special exhibitions, events as well as on museum education. The tasks of the NS Documentation Centre also comprise advice and support for projects developed outside the Centre. The Centre also engages in networking activities with many scientists and scholars at universities and memorials.
Adress
Appellhofplatz 23-25
D-50667 Köln
+49-0221/2212-6332
Guided Tours: +49-0221/2212-6331
nsdok@stadt-koeln.de
