Holocaust memorial centre begins major revamp of permanent exhibition
The Kazerne Dossin Holocaust memorial museum in Mechelen is to completely revamp its permanent exhibition. The refurbishment was announced on Tuesday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The current exhibition is 20 years old and requires a more contemporary approach. The renewal will cost 7 million euros, with 4.2 million provided by the Flemish government, and should be complete by 2030.
“We have to keep telling the story, but the way we do it has changed compared to 20 years ago,” said the centre’s director, Tomas Baum. “Our exhibition has to be relevant to an audience today, but also in five or 10 years’ time. We also want to take the opportunity to adapt our museum to people with disabilities, without them having to take special measures to visit.”
The museum, memorial and research centre is on the site of the Dossin Barracks, which held Jewish and Roma prisoners before they were transported to Auschwitz. Its history remains central to the revamp. The new exhibition will consider the “inhuman history perpetrated by human beings”, as well as the mechanisms and logistics that made the Holocaust possible.
"Our exhibition has to be relevant to an audience today, but also in five or 10 years’ time"
The exhibition is expected to open in 2030 and the museum hopes to increase visitor numbers to 90,000. In the meantime, the current exhibition will remain open and there will be no temporary shows.
“Kazerne Dossin reminds us of what dehumanisation can lead to,” said Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele. “This investment will ensure that this period in history will continue to be passed on in a clear and accessible manner in the future; as a cornerstone for human dignity and human rights, today and tomorrow.”
International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and marks the date of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945.
#FlandersNewsService | A wall with pictures of Holocaust victims at Kazerne Dossin, 27 January 2026 © BELGA PHOTO KATLEEN VASTIAU
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