Guided tours

Topf & Sons and its Business Relations with the SS

The guided tour offers participants an opportunity to learn about the history of the Topf & Sons company and its business relations with the SS and engage in discussion with one another about the responsibility of the individual in the practice of one’s profession. The dialogue-based guided tour, which encompasses parts of the outdoor grounds and the permanent exhibition Engineers of the “Final Solution”, focuses primarily on the critical examination and assessment of key historical documents.

The source-oriented tour is concerned with the motives of the company owners as well as the engineers, fitters and salespersons involved, but also with their options for action. The tour closes with a participant discussion round on the connivance and complicity of the individual protagonists.

An Exploration of the Outdoor Exhibition

The guided tour of the outdoor exhibition revolves around the history of the Topf & Sons company and its business relations with the SS. It begins in front of the former administration building that now accommodates the Place of Remembrance and goes on to explore the sites of the onetime production facilities on the grounds of the present-day specialty retail centre. Information plaques with historical photos taken from the same angle provide an impression of the former industrial facility’s size and appearance and, with the aid of biographies and key documents, introduce the connivers and accomplices on the company staff. The tour also provides scope for discussion in which participants can reflect on the motives of the company owners, engineers, fitters and salespersons and their options for action. Participants who wish to visit the permanent exhibition following the guided tour can receive pointers on delving deeper into these issues there.

Groups are requested to register in advance. This offer is suitable for youth and adult education groups. Interested teachers can request pointers on how to integrate the guided tour in school instruction in various subjects.

Please contact us so that our educational staff can take your specific wishes, questions and the group’s knowledge level into account in preparation for your visit.

The guided tours are also available in foreign languages. The following languages are on offer:

• German
• English
• French
• Spanish

Please contact us for further details on guided tours and to set up an appointment.