Content and Curatorial Design

Following the successful conclusion of the international competition for the architecture and
landscape design of the expanded Gusen Memorial, 2026 marks the start of the process of developing an overall curatorial concept for the future remembrance site.

A team at the Mauthausen Memorial made up of staff from the Curatorial, Education and Collections departments will shape this process in collaboration with outside experts. Following a selection process, a working group comprising the two offices trafo.k and section.a was chosen as partners. Trafo.k has many years of experience in successfully working on research and educational projects at the interface between education and critical knowledge production. Section.a is a curator collective that develops tailor-made exhibition concepts for a wide range of clients.

The first workshop took place on 15 January 2026 in Gusen. The aim of the process is to develop an integrated concept based on the principles of memorial site education work for the design of future exhibition elements and curatorial interventions at the Gusen remembrance site. Due to be completed by the end of 2026, this concept will form the basis for further content development and the commissioning of the exhibition design.

The Framework Concept for Further Development of Gusen Remembrance Site provides the basis for the overall curatorial concept. This document was developed in the summer and autumn of 2025 by an internal working group at the Mauthausen Memorial with the involvement of the Scientific Advisory Board. It defines the guiding principles to be followed as the new remembrance site takes shape over the coming years. The framework concept is available for download here.