The new permanent exhibition at Colditz Castle recounts the castle’s eventful history across different eras. The stately buildings in the rear courtyard reflect their condition following the departure of the hospital and nursing home in 1996 and still bear all the marks of history. The furnishings are entirely absent. Since 2024, some of these rooms have been open to the public for individual viewing.
Daring escape attempts by officers and the magnificent chambers of the Electors are brought to life through elaborate displays in the unrenovated rooms. The exhibition blends into the castle’s frozen state following the last major change, amidst the mingling of hospital odours and exquisitely painted wood.
A particular focus is on the spectacular escape attempts by Allied officers from the prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War. Among other things, the museum offers visitors an insight into the prisoner database and displays the confiscated escape aids.
At the same time, visitors learn more about other chapters in the castle’s history: its time as an electoral residence and its use as a sanatorium and nursing home for people with mental illness.
The exhibition combines traditional museum elements with modern educational approaches. In addition to texts, historical exhibits, films and interactive stations, visitors can use the ‘Histopad’ tablet guide to explore digital reconstructions and augmented reality animations. For further information about the Histopad, click here.
Art installation »84 concrete mattresses, lest we forget«
An installation by artist Thomas Moecker commemorates the victims of the early »euthanasia« murders at the Colditz Health and Care Institution. 84 mattresses cast in concrete make the basement of the hall an impressive - and oppressive - memorial place. The artwork commemorates the 84 psychiatric patients who died here. It is representative of the suffering experienced by every patient in an institution in which the planned and systematic death for mentally disabled people is carried out. The concrete makes the objects of the installation look like fossils, which have saved all the experiences. The installation is accessible to visitors free of charge.