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The only Holocaust museum in Africa
Cape Town Holocaust Centre
Ghetto exhibit at Cape Town Holocaust Centre
© Cape Town Holocaust Centre
Did you know?
The great composer, Richard Wagner is credited with the terms "Jewish Problem" and "Final Solution".
Among the darkest passages in the journey of mankind was the Holocaust, a supreme example of genocide and blind prejudice, in which 6 million Jews and about 2 million others - Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals, German clergymen and political opponents - were exterminated by the Nazis who ruled the Third German Reich from 1933 to 1945.
The Cape Town Holocaust Centre is the first and only Holocaust centre in Africa, created not only as a poignant memorial to those who suffered and died, but also as a constant reminder to guard against such barbarism ever again raising its head.
Genocide, discrimination and persecution have gone on into this century in a number of countries, and the Cape Town Holocaust Centre is in the vanguard of the fight against these.
Different sections of this Cape Town Jewish memorial cover the start of persecution in Germany, when Jews were forced to wear a yellow Star of David and Jewish businesses were destroyed, ghetto development, the fiendish "the final solution", the extermination camps, liberation towards the end of the war, and the stories of survivors from Cape Town.
The exhibits include photographs, films, artefacts and mementos illustrating life in the ghettos, and the full horror of genocide.
Located on the first floor of the Albow Centre at 88 Hatfield Street, this is the only Holocaust Centre in Africa, with a mission to teach the young about the evil consequences of racism, and "promote an understanding of the dangers of indifference, apathy and silence".
Although the theme is depressing, the exhibits are the result of really effective display techniques, and the experience is all the more moving.
In the words of the centre's Professor Yehuda Bauer: "Events happen because they are possible. If they were possible once they are possible again. In that sense the Holocaust is not unique, but a warning to the future."
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Cape Town Holocaust Centre
Address: 88 Hatfield Street, Gardens, Cape Town
Tel: 021-462-5553
Email: admin@ctholocaust.co.za
How to get here
Cape Town Holocaust Centre is in the Cape Town CBD and therefore easily accessible by road, bus or taxi.
Around the area
The centre is in close proximity to the SA National Gallery, SA Museum, SA Library and the SA Jewish Museum.
Get around
Wander around the centre on your own steam. The centre is easy to navigate.
What will it cost
Entrance is free
Length of stay
Half a day
Where to stay
Cape Town offers a pick of hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses within walking distance of the centre.
What to eat
Within walking distance is a diverse range of eateries to suit any palate.