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Museum Wewelsburg

  • Second World War (1939-1945)
  • Burgwall 19, 33142 Wewelsburg
  • +492955762220
  • kreismuseum.wewelsburg @ t-online.de
  • wewelsburg.de
  • Germany Nordrhein-Westfalen Wewelsburg

Museum Wewelsburg #1

In 1933 "Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler" rented castle "Wewelsburg" for 100 years to use it as the headquarters of his feared SS organization. It would serve as a religious place where German Pagan Elements of Nazism would be collected and further developed. Himmler was convinced that the castle stood for a German stronghold in the struggle between the Europeans and the eastern hordes. The "Herrenvolk" would rule over these inferior races and provide themselves with "lebensraum". In the beginning of the war the castle was renovated by forced labourers from the nearby concentration camp. The final plan was to relocate all civilians from the village to change this place into a big SS complex with barracks within the centre of the castle. High ranked SS officers would visit and discuss matters concerning the Nazi ideology and future perspectives. When the war broke out the "house of hell", as the castle was also called, got an administrative function and became a storage house for stolen paintings from the occupied territories. In 1945 Himmler gave the order to blow up the castle which partly worked. In 1973 they started with the renovation of the Northern Tower. Three years later they decided to renovate the whole castle and to maintain it as a memorial. It became a museum and it would hold a youth hostel. Nowadays there are three museums located in the castle of which one focuses on the terror of the SS and the Holocaust. You can find information of the origin of the organization, rise of Nazism and about the person "Heinrich Himmler". Uniforms are on display and the top piece is the diary of the "Reichsfuhrer SS". It is the only SS museum in the world. Next to the museum there is a possibility to visit the by Himmler baptized "ObergruppenFuhrerSaal" which he used as a centre for important rites and gatherings. The hall was used according to the customs of the Knights of the Round Table (of King Arthur). The Black sun of sun wheel is still visible on the floor. In the basement room of the Northern Tower is a place that was used as a memorial for SS officers that were killed. This was supposed to be, according to Heinrich Himmler, what he called the centre of the world. In this basement you can still clearly see the contours of the swastika sign in the ceiling. You are not allowed to take pictures here, wary of glorification by and through neo-Nazis.

For current visiting hours, please visit the website of the museum.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

  • Text: Cheapskatetravel
  • Photos: Cheapskatetravel (1, 3, 4), Lennard Bolijn (2, 5, 6, 7, 8)

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Dark Tourists

Castle of Wewelsburg – Heinrich Himmler’s Nazi Camelot

The Castle of Wewelsburg has an extremely dark past. The forbidding fortress was once SS Chief Himmler’s Nazi Camelot, where some of the darkest deeds of WW2 were plotted.

Labeled as ‘Naziland’ by critics, Heinrich Himmler forged plans for Nazi world domination from within those walls.

It was also designed as an SS non-military training center where the Reich’s purest Aryan specimens were brought to be indoctrinated with the Nazi view of history, art, and culture.

And now, after an $8million revamp back in 2010, the castle is one of Germany’s most popular dark tourist attractions.

The SS and Castle of Wewelsburg

castle of wewelsburg

The triangular Renaissance castle in Wewelsburg was in a poor state when Himmler’s attention turned towards it in 1934.

However, undeterred by the dilapidated condition, he signed a 100-year lease on the property, and the SS began working on giving the castle a complete overhaul.

This incorporated all the best in Nazi symbolic grandeur. Swastikas and occult symbols adorned every aspect of the design. Pagan ritualism was embraced and only Nazi-approved artwork and artifacts decorated the halls.

One particularly ostentatious addition was a circular chamber known as “the crypt”. This had a large eternal flame at the center and was surrounded by 12 seats.

It turns out Himmler was crazy about medieval fantasy, the room was an obvious nod to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Slave labor was used of course. Workers from the nearby Niederhagen and Sachsenhausen concentration camps were dragged in to bring Himmler’s vision to life.

He viewed Wewelsburg as the Grail Castle. And what would become the inspiration for the majority of Indiana Jones storylines many years later, Himmler sent his SS cronies all over the world looking for mythological antiquities that would imbue the regime with magical powers.

Wewelsburg also saw a number of pagan rituals take place. Led by Himmler, the exact nature of these (and the extent of potential depravity) remain unknown.

Nazi Defeat

Construction of the castle’s fortification and the surrounding village (a moat was planned and the village was intended to be a home for leading SS soldiers) was still a work in progress in 1943.

The tide of the war was turning, however. After Germany’s defeat at Stalingrad construction at Wewelsburg was brought to a close.

When the allies later closed in to bring the end to the Third Reich, Himmler ordered SS major Heinz Macher to destroy the castle.

When the U.S infantry arrived a day later, the interior had been completely torched and turned into ashes. However, the robust medieval exterior survived.

Where is the Castle of Wewelsburg

  • Address: Burgwall 19, 33142 Büren, Germany
  • Phone: +49 2955 76220

Visiting the Castle today

wewelsburg castle

Today, the bulk of the castle is used as a large youth hostel, offering 204-bed accommodations and team-building programs for schoolchildren. Also, a museum was opened up on the site in 1996, with major renovations happening in 2010.

The free exhibition, which is the world’s largest devoted to the history of the SS, provides a comprehensive view on the horrors of the regime, with a focus on Himmler’s grotesque plan for world domination.

Essentially, the castle of Wewelsburg now acts as a poignant reminder of how quickly a civilized state can collapse into depravity and mass murder, when the wrong people take control.

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Ruins of the third reich tour.

Hitler's FHQ "Adlerhorst", Wewelsburg Castle, Nordhausen, Munster Tank Museum, Hamburg, Kiel, Peenemünde, and Berlin, Germany . . . Tour Highlights: • Overnight in a Medieval Castle in central Germany on the first night of the Tour • Overnight on the beautiful Baltic Sea, steps away from Peenemünde base • Explore Nordhausen on our tour of the former underground armaments factory • Tour of Hamburg Harbor and Third Reich Sites in historic Hamburg, Germany • We get special access to restricted areas of the old Peenemünde Rocket Center • Visit an original preserved Cold War Border Checkpoint (East/West Germany) • We include sites others do not, such as Hitler's Adlerhorst   / Goering's Carinhall • Experience counts! We have operated WWII Tours in Europe for over 25 years

Tour Bookings

< back to WWII Tours

Tour Dates: May 20 - 31, 2024 - Sold Out * Tour is a Guaranteed Departure

Tour Rates: USD 4,590 pp in Double Room USD 5,390 pp in Single Room Tour Rates do not include Airfare.

wewelsburg castle tours

Alpventures® Ruins of the Third Reich Tour explores the technology and ideology of National Socialism in northern Germany from 1933 - 1945.

The Tour starts at the Frankfurt Airport and concludes 9 days later at Berlin Airport. We start with a Guided Tour of Hitler's FHQ (Führer Headquarter) "Adlerhorst" in the Taunus mountains north of Frankfurt. See Kransberg Castle, the last headquarters for the SS and German Luftwaffe, and Hitler's own former headquarter areas at Langenhain-Ziegenberg and Wiesnthal. Our first stop on the Tour is Heinrich Himmler's infamous SS Castle at Wewelsburg, near Paderborn. This Tour also includes a visit the Dora Concentration Camp and underground armaments factory at Nordhausen. You will have the opportunity to visit the Documentation Center and see the underground tunnel system on our Guided Tour.

Next, we visit the impressive Panzermuseum (Tank Museum) in Munster with 800 vehicles (including 40 tanks from World War II). We also visit Hamburg and the German Naval Memorial and Museum, the German U-boat Memorial at Moeltenort and the U-995 Submarine Technical Museum at Laboe near Kiel. Before heading to Berlin, we will spend the good part of a day touring the former German rocket research and development, production, and launch base at Peenemünde. The last three nights of the Tour are in Berlin. We see all the German Capital City has to offer during our stay; including the main former government buildings (Reichs Chancellory site, Goering's Luftwaffe, Gestapo Headquarters, and site of the Führerbunker). We will spend our last day touring Berlin, including stops at Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstag building.

What's Included

Tour videos.

Tour Photos

wewelsburg castle tours

Day-by-Day Tour Itinerary

As with all of our WWII Tours, you are welcome to arrive early in Frankfurt before the tour group meets up; or extend your stay in Berlin after the tour concludes.

May 20: IN FLIGHT - to Frankfurt International Airport

May 21: ADLERHORST: Hitler's FHQ Headquarters Arrival at Frankfurt International Airport this morning. We start off with a transfer to the north side of Frankfurt, into the Taunus Mountains. Morning Guided Tour of Hitler's FHQ "Adlerhorst" near Ober-Moerlen / Bad Nauheim. See one of the final headquarters for Hitler, the SS, the Luftwaffe and the remains of various war relics and bunkers. Lunch. Afternoon transfer north with a break en route to Kassel. Hotel check-in and relax before our Welcome Dinner tonight. Overnight Kassel. (D)

May 22: PADERBORN: Himmler's Castle at Wewelsburg Breakfast and hotel check-out this morning. Continue to the village of Wewelsburg and Tour (with Audio-Guide) through Wewelsburg Castle. The Tour includes a visit to the Wewelsburg Museum and historical exhibit, Wewelsburg 1933 - 1945. We will also see the inside of the castle, the North Tower 'Honor Hall' and Crypt. Lunch. Afternoon transfer to hotel. Dinner. Overnight Braunlage. (B, D)

May 23: NORDHAUSEN: The Secret Weapons Factory Breakfast. Morning Guided Tour of the infamous Nordhausen Concentration Camp Dora / and Mittelwerk underground armaments tunnels where the Nazis produced V1 and V2 weapons during World War II. Free time at the Documentation Center. Continue to the town of Nordhausen for lunch. Afternoon transfer back to hotel in Braunlage and relax before dinner. Dinner on your own. Overnight Braunlage. (B)

May 24: MUNSTER: The Panzermuseum (Tank Museum) Today after breakfast and hotel check out, our quest takes us north to Munster. Lunch. Afternoon visit to the impressive Panzrermuseum (Tank Museum) in Munster, with over 600 different tanks and armored vehicles (including 40 from World War II). Late afternoon transfer to our hotel in Hamburg for check in and dinner on your own. Overnight Hamburg. (B)

May 25: HAMBURG: Third Reich History of Hamburg After breakfast and hotel check-out, we will enjoy a City Tour of Hamburg, including historical highlights and Third Reich Sites such as the remaining massive FLAK Tower at Heiliggeistfeld. We will also see the famous Hamburg Harbor, Speicherstadt and Blohm and Voss Shipyard, where the Bismarck was built. Lunch. Afternoon transfer to Kiel on the Baltic Sea for hotel check-in and dinner. Overnight Kiel. (B, D)

May 26: KIEL: German Naval Memorials / U995 After Breakfast, we begin with a short journey to Laboe, where we visit the German U-Boat Memorial at Moeltendorf and the German Naval Memorial at Laboe. We will also be going to the top of the Memorial to enjoy the beautiful view of the Kieler Fjord. A highlight of the day is touring the U995 Type VIIC Submarine The U995 entered service in September 1943. Dinner. Overnight Kiel. (B)

May 27: PEENEMUENDE: Hitler's Secret Weapons Breakfast and Hotel check out. Transfer today from Kiel to Peenemünde. Lunch. Afternoon arrival and tour of the infamous secret base, where Nazi scientists were working on Hitler's secret weapons programs during World War II. Private tour of Peenemünde East, including stops at the ruins / sites of many of Wernher Von Braun's team; as well as the site of the former Concentration Camp and local cemetery. Visit the Peenemünde Technical Museum this afternoon. Transfer to our nearby hotel for check-in and dinner. Overnight Peenemünde. (B, D)

May 28: CARINHALL: Goering's Country Palace Breakfast and check out of our hotel this morning. Transfer south to the Templin area for lunch. Enjoy an afternoon Guided Tour of Carinhall, the former country estate of Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering. See the old entrance gate and guard houses, as well as the site of the former estate and guest homes. You will also visit the spot where Carin's (Goering's first wife) tomb was located on the edge of the lake. Continue to our hotel for dinner. Overnight Schorfheide. (B, D)

May 29: BERLIN: Capital of the Third Reich Breakfast. Check out of our hotel and continue south to Berlin city center for lunch near "Checkpoint Charlie". This afternoon, we will have a Berlin City Tour, including the highlights of Berlin's Third Reich History like the famous Brandenburg Gate, Reichschancellory, Reichstag, Luftwaffe and Propaganda Ministries and the site of Adolf Hitler's "Führerbunker". Overnight Berlin. (B)

May 30: BERLIN: The Battle for Berlin Breakfast. We will spend the morning at the former GESTAPO headquarters building (free time at the Topography of Terror Exhibit and/or Checkpoint Charlie). Lunch. This afternoon we have a special Guided Tour of the Berlin FLAK Tower at Humbolthain Park. Only two remain in Berlin, both were partially demolished at the end of the war. Late afternoon transfer back to our hotel and relax before our Farewell Dinner tonight. Overnight Berlin. (B, D)

May 31: IN FLIGHT - from Berlin International Airport Breakfast, check out of our hotel this morning, and continue to the airport. (B)

More Details

How to Book: It's easy to book and safely pay your refundable $400 Tour deposit with PayPal. You can also book by phone with a credit card, or you can print the form, send a check by mail.

What to Know: This Tour begins at Frankfurt (FRA) Airport and ends at Berlin (BER) Airport. The Tour rate does not include roundtrip airfare. You can plan to arrive in Frankfurt a few days early, and/or you can also add some time in Berlin at the end of your Tour.

The Fine Print

Reservation Policy: A completed and signed Tour Reservation Form and a refundable $400 deposit (per person) are required to book our Tours. To book online: scroll to the top of this page and click the "Book Tour" button. You can adjust the quantity of people on our secure payment pages with PayPal. Payments are made to: ALPVENTURES. Payment in full is due 90 days prior to departure, and must be paid in USD by check or card. Cancellation Policy: Although Tour cancellations are not anticipated, Alpventures® reserves the right to cancel Tours for any reason, prior to Tour departure date, in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on Alpventures® part. In the case of Tour Participant cancellation, a full refund will be granted up to 30 days prior to Tour departure. A cancellation fee of 20% of Tour price will be charged for cancelling between 30 and 20 days prior to departure date and 40% between 20 and 10 days prior to departure. No refunds will be honored within 10 days of Tour.

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Wewelsburg – The Real ‘Castle Wolfenstein’

Wewelsburg is a renaissance castle in the village of wewelsbury, germany, that served as an ss school, and a centre for ss nazi occultism..

The present castle of Wewelsburg was constructed as a secondary residence for the Prince-Bishops of Paderborn in AD 1603, also serving as a bursary office and inquisition court for conducting witch trials later in the century.

Over the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century, the castle progressively fell into ruin, but by 1925 had been renovated into a banqueting hall, restaurant, museum, and youth hostel.

During the 1930’s, Heinrich Himmler (Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel) was searching for a castle as a retreat for SS members “in the heartland of Hermann der Cherusker”. Himmler had initially tried to secure Burg Schwalenberg (Schwalenberg Castle), but then decided to buy or lease Wewelsburg from the Landrat of Büren in 1934.

The castle instead became the Reichsführerschule SS (SS Leadership School), a centre for teaching the unified ideological training of the SS leadership, and in 1935 was officially named the “SS-Schule Haus Wewelsburg” (“SS School, House Wewelsburg”).

The curriculum quickly moved away from the schooling of SS leadership, and instead became more pseudo-scientific, with a focus on racial teachings through studies of Germanic history, folklore, and genealogy. An archaeological unit was also established at the castle to research prehistory, ancient history, medieval history and folklife, all with the intent of strengthening the National Socialist worldview.

By 1936, Himmler had envisioned the Wewelsburg as the representative and ideological centre of the SS Order, and founded the “Gesellschaft zur Förderung und Pflege deutscher Kulturdenkmäler e.V.” (Association for the advancement and maintenance of German cultural relics) which was assigned to redevelop the castle at a cost of 15 million Reichsmarks using prisoners from the Sachsenhausen and Niederhagen concentration camps.

The castles exterior was remodelled to make the appearance more ‘castle-like, with an eastern castle bridge, the north tower strengthened and rebuilt, and the exterior plaster on the walls removed to expose the underlying stone.

wewelsburg castle tours

Inside the north tower a former cistern was converted into a vault modelled after Mycenaean domed tombs, with 12 pedestals placed around the perimeter. At the centre, a gas pipe was laid that may have been intended to be an eternal flame.

On the ground floor of the tower, a hall with twelve columns joined by a groined vault was constructed for meetings by high-ranking SS-generals called Obergruppenführer. The room centred on a dark green sun wheel (Sonnenrad), believed to represent the centre of the entire “Germanic world empire”. An account by SS-General Karl Wolff referred to a meeting at the Obergruppenführer, in which he compared Himmler to playing like King Arthur with his knights of the round table.

wewelsburg castle tours

The internal design of the castle was also changed to include characters referred to in Grail legends, such as a study room named Gral (“Grail”), and others, König Artus (“King Arthur”), König Heinrich (“King Henry”), Heinrich der Löwe (“Henry the Lion”), Widukind, Christoph Kolumbus (“Christopher Columbus”), Arier (“Aryan”), Jahrlauf (“course of the seasons”), Runen (“runes”), Westfalen (“Westphalia”), and Deutscher Orden (“Teutonic Order”).

Himmler was interested in mysticism and the occult from an early age. He tied this interest into his racist philosophy, looking for proof of Aryan and Nordic racial superiority from ancient times. He promoted a cult of ancestor worship and racial doctrines at the castle through a kind of SS esotericism consisting of Germanic mysticism, worship of ruins, and adapted the idea of the Grail to create a mystical allure for the SS members.

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The nazi temple of doom: wewelsburg castle – the ss revered the castle as a place of mystical power.

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wewelsburg castle tours

The castle of Wewelsburg overlooks the village of the same name in Westphalia, Germany. It once belonged to the prince-bishops of Paderborn, and after that to the Kings of Prussia.

In 1933 it went into the hands of Heinrich Himmler, a leading member of the Nazi Party and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS), the elite military wing of the Nazi Party. Only pure Aryans were permitted to be members of the SS.

Himmler was intensely interested in mysticism and the occult. He chose Wewelsburg as his home and the headquarters of the SS. More than that, he made Wewelsburg a kind of spiritual center for his strange beliefs.

Himmler, laying a wreath in the crypts of the castle.

The SS revered the castle as a place of mystical power. It is located near the site of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where German tribesmen defeated the armies of Rome in 9 BC.

Himmler redesigned the castle and named its rooms after military heroes in Teutonic history and folklore, such as King Arthur, King Henry the Lion, Widikund and Frederick the Great.

The walls were decorated with swastikas, ancient Germanic runes, and other mystic German symbols. Unique tableware, painted with the same symbols, was made for the castle.

Schwarze_sonne

The castle was filled with works of arts glorifying the German people and their achievements. In the basement, there was a huge swastika where SS ‘heroes’ were cremated.

Himmler also built a room with twelve pillars, representing King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. A sacred flame guarded each pillar.

In fact, Himmler thought of Wewelsburg as a center of mystic power. Twelve SS officers became the new Knights of the Round Table and performed occult rites in celebration of the National Socialist state.

They believed the number twelve was of great significance. The SS was divided into twelve departments with twelve leaders.

There were twelve pedestals in the castle vault, and twelve spokes in the Black Sun: a symbol in the floor that represented the twelve SS ‘knights.’

Himmler believed that after the final victory of the German people Wewelsburg would be the spiritual center of the world. The SS would become the priests of the new world. Before campaigns, the leading SS commanders were called to the castle to prepare them spiritually.

Himmler issued members of the SS with rings engraved with skulls and mystics symbols. When a member of the SS died these ‘death’s head rings’ were brought to Wewelsburg and placed in a casket.

Nobody knows where those 11,500 rings are now, but it was rumored they were buried in a nearby mountain.

When the end of the Third Reich drew near, and all hope for a victory was lost, the castle commander fled to escape from the hands of the US 3rd Armored division. Himmler, however, had not forgotten about the castle and even so late in the war he ordered an SS Major to destroy it. He did not want his bit of Nazi ideology to fall into the hands of the Allies.

On Saturday, March 31, 1945, the destruction of the castle was attempted, but a lack of explosives forced the SS men to choose to blow up only a couple of buildings and a tower and then set the rest on fire. They then quickly changed into civilian clothes and fled the scene.

In 1948 restoration of the castle began and in 1950 it became a museum and a youth hostel. Thirty-two years later it became a war memorial under the title Wewelsburg 1933-1945: Kult- und Terrorstätte der SS.

The museum’s history department was reopened in 2010. It has a permanent exhibit that presents the strange story of SS activities in the castle.

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  1. History of Wewelsburg Castle

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  4. Wewelsburg in World War II: SS Center and Dark History

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  6. Castle courtyard of Wewelsburg castle, a triangular castle, Bueren

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  2. Wewelsburg Paderborn 🇩🇪 Then vs Now 🪖 #ww2 #thenandnow

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  6. Wewelsburg im Winter 2024

COMMENTS

  1. Guided Tours in English

    On our long informative tour through the history of Paderborn Land in centuries past, you will experience Wewelsburg District Museum as an exciting historical setting. Group size: 10 to 25 people (max.) For visitors aged 6 and older. Duration: at least 1 hr. 30 min. Guided tours cost between 40 € (in german language) and 50 € (in english ...

  2. Home

    Wewelsburg Castle was built between 1603 and 1609 in Weser Renaissance style as a supplementary residence for the Prince Bishops of Paderborn. The triangular castle, which is located in the village of Wewelsburg (Büren) in the district of Paderborn, stands high on a rock overlooking the Alme Valley. Experience history at your fingertips, enjoy ...

  3. Kreismuseum Wewelsburg

    Excellent. Mar 2024 • Family. I took my wife to the castle on the 23rd of March 2024. My wife had wanted to visit for a long time and when we arrived, I told the staff that my wife uses a wheelchair. The lady and gentleman at the reception bent over backwards placing ramps and unlocking doors to make my wife's visit as easy as possible.

  4. Wewelsburg

    Wewelsburg (German pronunciation: [ˈveːvl̩sbʊɐ̯k]) is a Renaissance castle located in the village of Wewelsburg, which is a district of the town of Büren, Westphalia, in the Landkreis of Paderborn in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The castle has a triangular layout, with three round towers connected by massive walls. After 1934 it was used by the SS under Heinrich ...

  5. Exhibition tour

    Wewelsburg Castle itself is the most important exhibit of this museum and at the same time an extremely multi-layered one. Given its name, it triggers expectations associated with images of medieval knight's castles. ... Subsequent to a tour regarding typical landscape characteristics of this region, such as distinctive elevations caused by ...

  6. KREISMUSEUM WEWELSBURG (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE ...

    Excellent. Mar 2024 • Family. I took my wife to the castle on the 23rd of March 2024. My wife had wanted to visit for a long time and when we arrived, I told the staff that my wife uses a wheelchair. The lady and gentleman at the reception bent over backwards placing ramps and unlocking doors to make my wife's visit as easy as possible.

  7. Wewelsburg in World War II: SS Center and Dark History

    (4 Stars WW2-tour ranking) Discover Wewelsburg Castle, Büren. Wewelsburg, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, holds a complex and enigmatic history during World War II. Originally built as a Renaissance castle, it became a significant site for the Nazi regime during the war.

  8. Kreismuseum Wewelsburg

    There is a large, free, multi level museum within the castle, devoted to the rise of the SS, the personnel, the misuse of the power they created, and, ultimately, the concentration camp system, particularly the one at Wewelsburg. Plan on about 2-3 hours to complete the tour. Be SURE to get the free audio guide.

  9. Kreismuseum Wewelsburg

    Beautiful castle on a small hill worth visiting. Wewelsburg is a Renaissance castle located in the village of Wewelsburg in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. After 1934 it was used by the SS under Heinrich Himmler, and was to be expanded into a complex which would serve as the central SS cult-site.

  10. Wewelsburg

    Being the only triangle-shaped castle in all of Germany, the Wewelsburg was built between 1603 and 1609 by the Prince-Bishop of Paderborn, Dietrich of Fürstenberg, on the site of previous fortified structures. Like so many other castles of the area, it was built in the Weser-Renaissance style. The Prince-Bishop used the Wewelsburg as a hunting ...

  11. Nazi Temple Of Doom

    Wewelsburg Castle foundations date back to the Middles Ages. As the site stands today, the castle design dates to the 17th century. The castle is located near the Teutoburg Forest. The {then} believed the site where Arminus, a Germanic tribe leader defeated the Roman Army which in part lends the castle to ancient fantasy.

  12. Museum Wewelsburg

    Museum Wewelsburg. Second World War (1939-1945) Burgwall 19, 33142 Wewelsburg. +492955762220. kreismuseum.wewelsburg @ t-online.de. wewelsburg.de. Germany Nordrhein-Westfalen Wewelsburg. In 1933 "Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler" rented castle "Wewelsburg" for 100 years to use it as the headquarters of his feared SS organization.

  13. Castle of Wewelsburg

    August 31, 2020February 26, 2020. The Castle of Wewelsburg has an extremely dark past. The forbidding fortress was once SS Chief Himmler's Nazi Camelot, where some of the darkest deeds of WW2 were plotted. Labeled as 'Naziland' by critics, Heinrich Himmler forged plans for Nazi world domination from within those walls.

  14. Ruins of the Third Reich Tour

    May 22: PADERBORN: Himmler's Castle at Wewelsburg Breakfast and hotel check-out this morning. Continue to the village of Wewelsburg and Tour (with Audio-Guide) through Wewelsburg Castle. The Tour includes a visit to the Wewelsburg Museum and historical exhibit, Wewelsburg 1933 - 1945.

  15. Wewelsburg

    The present castle of Wewelsburg was constructed as a secondary residence for the Prince-Bishops of Paderborn in AD 1603, also serving as a bursary office and inquisition court for conducting witch trials later in the century. Over the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century, the castle progressively fell into ruin, but by 1925 had been renovated ...

  16. History of Wewelsburg Castle

    1948/1949. Wewelsburg Castle is reconstructed by the district of Büren as its owner. 1950. The youth hostel (Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk) and the "Heimatmuseum" move back into the castle (opening of the painting cycle by Jo Glahé in the "Crypt" of the North Tower, an early memorial against violence and war made possible by citizen's commitment)

  17. Wewelsburg castle

    176 Reviews. #1 of 6 things to do in Buren. Sights & Landmarks, Castles. Burgwall 19, 33142 Buren, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Open today: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Pompeypaul657.

  18. World War II Tours: Ruins of the Third Reich Tour

    Experience 9 days in northern Germany. We begin with a Tour of Heinrich Himmler's infamous SS Castle at Wewelsburg. Our next stop is Nordhausen; where we Tour of the DORA underground weapons factory, memorial and museum. We continue with a visit to the impressive Munster Tank Museum, with over 40 tanks from World War II.

  19. The Nazi Temple of Doom: Wewelsburg Castle

    The castle of Wewelsburg overlooks the village of the same name in Westphalia, Germany. It once belonged to the prince-bishops of Paderborn, and after that to the Kings of Prussia. In 1933 it went into the hands of Heinrich Himmler, a leading member of the Nazi Party and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS), the elite military wing of the Nazi Party.

  20. Wwii Tours

    Our VIP Tours. Overview; Included WWII Vehicles; Included Dambuster Tour; Vehicles, artifacts and weapons Tour; Wewelsburg Castle Tour; Remagen Bridge and WTS Tour; Secret Weapong and Holocaust Tour; Air raid shelter Tour; Custom Tour; Our Vehicles. Overview; Willys MB 1942; VW Kubelwagen Typ 82 1944; VW Schwimmwagen Typ 166 1942; BMW R75 1942 ...

  21. Aviators revisit World War II history during castle retreat

    Wewelsburg Castle and the nearby Niederhagen Concentration Camp Memorial are both open to visitors and the castle offers guided tours. Visit www.wewelsburg.de for more information.

  22. Guided Tours

    For visitors aged. 14 and older. Duration. at least 2 hours. Indication. Guided tours cost between 40 € (in german language) and 50 € (in english language). We offer free group tours for young people, vocational trainees and apprentices, and students. To obtain information or register please call. 0049 (0)2955 76220.

  23. SS-ORDER CASTLE CASTLE WEWELSBURG VISITATION BADGE

    SS Wewelsburg Castle Commemorative Badge.This enamel badge commemorates Wewelsburg Castle which Himmler intended to be the 'Grail Castle' of the SS. Safety Pin Backed Marked Ges. Gesch