Special Exhibition Cottbus: A Station of Remembrance at the Human Rights Center
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A Station that Makes History Visible
The special exhibition Cottbus: A Station of Remembrance. Deportations and Forced Labor in National Socialism focuses on a place where local and European history gathers in a distressing way. The Cottbus station does not appear here as a neutral traffic hub, but as a site of exclusion, deportation, and forced labor.
Historical Research Meets Compelling Presentation
The exhibition combines historical research with a temporary presentation, a supporting program, and a media installation. Drawing on historical departure boards, it reminds us of the fate of those affected, names individuals and locations of deportation, creating a concentrated form of contemplation that intertwines documentation and remembrance culture. The exhibition atmosphere remains deliberately calm and reflective; it opens up an aesthetic experience that does not set distance but encourages careful observation.
Cottbus in the Context of Nazi Persecution
The thematic dramaturgy leads through several layers of Nazi history: in 1938, Jewish individuals with Polish citizenship were deported from Cottbus and the region through the station. Later, deportation trains departed from here to the ghettos in occupied Poland and to Theresienstadt. At the same time, people reached the city via the same tracks, who were forced to work in industrial enterprises, at the Reichsbahn, in municipal facilities, and on farms. The exhibition places these events in the broader context of persecution, disenfranchisement, and extermination.
A Place of Education and Remembrance
The project originated within the framework of MemoRails - Stop! Here we remember Nazi history by the Foundation Memory, Responsibility and Future and was funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media. The organizer is the Cottbus Human Rights Center e.V. in cooperation with exhibeo e.V., the Stolpersteine Cottbus working group, and the municipal collections of Cottbus. This gives the showcase a clear authoritative anchoring in historical-political education and regional memorial work. ([cottbus.de](https://cottbus.de/veranstaltungen/sonderausstellung-cottbus-ein-bahnhof-der-erinnerung-deportationen-und-zwangsarbeit-im-nationalsozialismus-15/?utm_source=openai))
Visit, Tour, and Accessibility
Admission to the exhibition is included in the ticket price for the Cottbus Human Rights Center. The memorial is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.; it is closed on Mondays. Large parts of the area are accessible without barriers, and the main building has an elevator. Guided tours are possible by appointment, and can also be offered in English or simplified language upon request. ([menschenrechtszentrum-cottbus.de](https://www.menschenrechtszentrum-cottbus.de/besuch/info/))
Conclusion
This special exhibition requires attention, empathy, and historical accuracy. Those who engage in the tour encounter a place where remembrance, research, and contemporary politics closely intertwine. The visit is worthwhile as an impressive artistic experience in the broader sense of cultural education: not decorative, but necessary; not distant, but immediate. Absolutely to be experienced live. ([cottbus.de](https://cottbus.de/veranstaltungen/sonderausstellung-cottbus-ein-bahnhof-der-erinnerung-deportationen-und-zwangsarbeit-im-nationalsozialismus-15/?utm_source=openai))
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- Website: https://www.menschenrechtszentrum-cottbus.de/
