Monument to the victims of the Dachau concentration camp

The International Committee of Dachau Elders organised a competition to build a monument on the camp’s former roll-call square to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its liberation.

The competition had the patronage of the International Dachau Committee and the approval of the International Union of Architects (UIA).

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The monument was built in 1968.

Keywords : Heritage, Remembrance, Transformation

Theme and objectives

The aim of the competition was to commemorate all victims from all countries who perished in this concentration camp.

This monument was to be erected on the former camp muster square. The monument was intended to convey to future generations the bravery of the victims in detention and love for one’s neighbour. The monument also had to be sober and fit with the image of the camp at the time of liberation in April 1945.

Key criteria

The evaluation criteria to be taken into account by the participants for the competition were as follows:

Compliance with the regulations;
General aesthetic;
Meaning of the monument;
Costs of realisation.

Jury Members

Dr. André Marsault, Doctor and Dachau survivor, FRANCE;
René Vander Auwera, Architect, BELGIUM;
Land Bayern, Architect, GERMANY;
Arthur Haulot, General Commissioner for Tourism, BELGIUM;
Schelling Gunter, Architect, GERMANY;
Carel Steensma, Pilot and Dachau survivor, NETHERLANDS;
Georges Walraeve, Secretary General of the International Dachau Committee, BELGIUM;
Giuseppe Perugini, Delegate of the International Union of Architects, ITALY;
Alex Persitz, Architect, FRANCE;
André Bloc, Engineer, FRANCE;
Juliusz Starzynski, Delegate of the International Association of Art Critics, POLAND.

Eligibility

This competition was open to all recognised resistance artists from countries that were represented in the International Committee of Dachau.