House Rules for Wewelsburg District Museum

Wewelsburg District Museum is a public institution of the District of Paderborn. It comprises in the castle building: the “Historical Museum of the Prince Bishopric of Paderborn”, two rooms in the North Tower and the castle hall. In the former guardhouse: the “Wewelsburg 1933-1945 Memorial Museum” and the administration building as well as the castle grounds between the Castle and the former Guardhouse.

1. The collection exhibits in the exhibition rooms can be viewed and used under supervision by everyone during opening hours.

The admission charge is fixed in accordance with the prevailing version of the Allgemeine Gebührensatzung des Kreises Paderborn (General Regulations on Fees for the District of Paderborn).

2. Museum visitors must behave in a manner that neither hinders or disturbs any other visitors.

3. Visitors may not, under any circumstances, treat with contempt, in word, writing or in the form of gestures, the freedom and dignity of other human beings (Art. 1 GG [German Basic Law]) or use signs or symbols that are in the spirit of, or represent, anti-constitutional or unconstitutional organisations.

4. Furthermore, visitors to the museum Museums must behave in such a way that they do not damage, soil or destroy collection exhibits or furnishings. Smoking is not allowed in the exhibition rooms. Visitors are not permitted to take animals into the Museum. Large objects such as umbrellas, sticks, suitcases, bags, etc., must be handed to the doorman/woman or placed in the lockers. Visitors soiling, damaging or losing furnishings or collection exhibits will be held liable in accordance with the general provisions of the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (German Civil Code). Co-users (e.g. visitors in groups) will be held liable as joint debtors.

5. In individual cases, the museum’s academic and educational staff will, by prior arrangement, provide commentaries on the exhibits displayed during normal opening times. Museum staff cannot be expected to provide commentaries on the exhibitions, except by prior arrangement. Group guided tours are only conducted on prior arrangement with the museum office.

6. The exhibits may be photographed and filmed for private purposes only.

7. Visitors are to comply with the orders, given by the museum attendants, to observe the above-mentioned terms and conditions. Any infringements of these regulations and the rules of conduct set out here can, in specific cases, result in a visitor being barred from visiting the museum again. Grave infringements can result in the museum management prohibiting visits to the museum for a certain period of time or permanently.

The “Wewelsburg 1933-1945 Memorial Museum” was established as a reminder to the living and in the honourable memory of the victims of Niederhagen Concentration Camp.

In view of the reasons for establishing this museum dedicated to the camp victims, visitors are to observe the following special regulations, in addition to the general regulations:

1. In addition to I.3 visitors are prohibited from wearing emblems and badges that represent extreme right-wing views.  

2. In addition to I.2 visitors are prohibited from expressing themselves in word, writing or deed in a manner that reflects extreme right wing, anti-Semitic or sexist views.