Technology, media and power in the context of remembrance culture

As part of a three-day excursion focusing on "Technology, media and power in the context of remembrance culture", which is part of module W10 of the Bachelor of Social Work(Opens in a new tab) , a course led by Prof. Dr. Maik Wunder(Opens in a new tab)  visited Wewelsburg Castle(Opens in a new tab)  in Büren. The group was accompanied on site by museum educator Norbert Ellermann(Opens in a new tab) , who guided the students through the historical areas of the site and gave them a comprehensive insight into its National Socialist past.

The students began the first day with an extensive tour of the town. Among other things, they visited the country inn "Ottens Hof", which contains various Nazi symbols both inside and outside. The students were also shown several historical buildings with old runes from the Nazi era as well as the site of the former concentration camp, including an SS firing range that was only uncovered a few years ago. The group concluded the evening with a joint viewing of the film "Führer und Verführer".

To delve deeper into the topic, the participants spent the second day studying various texts in order to gain a better understanding of the structural conditions and mechanisms of the Nazi era. They then visited the memorial's adjacent documentation center. There, the students had the opportunity to view numerous artifacts, documents and the results of archaeological excavations, which were collected in close cooperation with contemporary witnesses. The students were particularly impressed by the visit to the north tower of Wewelsburg Castle, which contains, among other things, the Obergruppenführersaal planned by Heinrich Himmler with the "black sun" embedded in the floor by prisoners. The participants were also shown a room where the rings of deceased high-ranking members of the SS may have been kept, even if this has not been conclusively confirmed historically. This was followed in the evening by an introduction to and joint viewing of the 1940 propaganda film "Jud Süß", which may only be shown in an educational context and is not freely accessible. The film was followed by a discussion about the movie.

On the third day, the students had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the documentation center to explore aspects of the film in greater depth and to clarify any unanswered questions.

The excursion offered a comprehensive insight into the history of Wewelsburg Castle and the mechanisms of National Socialist rule. The group would especially like to thank Norbert Ellermann for his in-depth explanations and the time he took for the group.