Mission and vision

The mission and vision of the Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre: museum and historic site.

Mission

Camp Westerbork is a place of remembrance, education and reflection. Here, the history and personal stories of Camp Westerbork are shared with as wide an audience as possible. We do this by engaging in dialogue with stakeholders whose personal histories are linked to Westerbork*. All our initiatives and activities stem from our connection to this historic site. From this place, we recount the multi-layered history of Camp Westerbork in relation to the times in which we now live, with an emphasis on the story of the Holocaust.

*This refers to prisoners/residents of the refugee camp, transit camp, internment camp and Schattenberg residential camp, the four functions that Westerbork served between 1939 and 1971.

Purple flowers on the former campsite of Camp Westerbork in the golden hour sunset

Vision

Camp Westerbork is unique: it is the place in the Netherlands from which more than 100,000 Jews, Sinti and Roma were deported to camps in the East. Drawing on this historic site, Camp Westerbork places the greatest genocide in Western history into the context of the times we live in today through permanent and temporary exhibitions, a knowledge centre, gatherings, educational activities, cultural events and personal stories. The history of the Holocaust in the Netherlands and its international context are central to everything Camp Westerbork organises.

The sun is peeking through the weels of the railway carriage, on the former campsite of Camp Westerbork.

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About the foundation

The Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre preserves, researches and shares the history of Camp Westerbork. At the historical site of the former camp, we bring to life the stories of the Jews, Sinti and Roma who were deported from the Netherlands and murdered. The focus is on the personal story: Camp Westerbork tells the story of the murder of a single person — 102,000 times over.

The reconstructed railway carriage at Camp Westerbork, with purple flowers and pictures hovering above the 102.000 Stones Monument, in the front.

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Knowledge Centre

The Knowledge Centre forms the core of the Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre. Here, staff members in education, collections and research work closely together. They explore, preserve and share knowledge about Camp Westerbork and the histories of the Holocaust and decolonisation. They also focus on how to deal with the historic site of Camp Westerbork and the Schattenberg residential camp.

Purple lupins forming a line in front of the restored railway carriage at the camp site of camp Westerbork

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Accessibility and inclusion

The Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre aims to be a place where everyone feels welcome. At the same time, it is a historic site, with original paths and structures, situated within the Hooghalen Forestry Commission and the radiation-free zone of the Astron. This means that a great deal is possible in terms of accessibility, but unfortunately not everything is accessible everywhere. On this page, you will find a clear and up-to-date overview of what to expect, so that you can prepare well for your visit.