The Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism examines the city’s central role in the rise of the Nazi movement and the consequences of its rule. Opened in 2015, the museum stands on the site of the former Brown House, the Nazi Party’s headquarters, placing visitors at the heart of the history it investigates.
Rather than treating Munich as a backdrop, the permanent exhibition confronts the people, institutions and choices that helped National Socialism take hold. Photographs, documents and multimedia displays trace the movement’s origins, its machinery of persecution and the legacy of the dictatorship after 1945. The stark, contemporary building provides a contrast to the surviving Nazi-era architecture around Königsplatz.
Allow at least two hours for the dense exhibitions, and longer if you want to explore them in depth. English translations are available throughout. The museum is a short walk from Königsplatz U-Bahn station on the U2 line and is generally closed on Mondays.