Culture of remembrance in Germany: The federal government wants to provide greater support for Nazi and SED memorials

“Memorials are our society’s memory aids. They preserve the memory of the crimes of National Socialism and the SED dictatorship and make our history tangible,” explained Weimer in Berlin. “Especially at a time when disinformation and falsification of history are increasing and the voices of contemporary witnesses are becoming silent, our culture of remembrance needs strong places of remembrance.” By increasing funding, the federal government is reportedly implementing the memorial concept decided on in November 2025.

Guard costs have increased

Including the additional funds, a total of ten million euros is now available for project funding. Projects for the preservation of historical places, for digitization and the digital living environment as well as for communication and application-related research would be funded.

Institutional strengthening is about financing increased personnel expenses as well as increasing security costs due to the increased threat situation. The Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, among others, benefited from this with additional funds of 842,000 euros, the Bavarian concentration camp memorials Dachau and Flossenbürg with an additional 497,000 euros, the Topography of Terror Memorial with 447,000 euros and the Saxon Memorials Foundation with 222,000 euros.

“The memorial sites in Germany are facing significant challenges today,” said the government. In addition to generational change, digital change and the increasing spread of disinformation, physical and digital attacks on memorials have also increased significantly in recent years. “Attacks on memorials are attacks on our culture of remembrance and on the foundations of our democracy,” explained Weimer. “Anyone who denies historical facts or attacks places of remembrance puts our history into perspective and defames the victims of violence and oppression.”

The increases are subject to further budget preparation, in particular the parliamentary discussions on the federal budget for 2027.