Initial archaeological explorations at the site of the former Gusen concentration camp completed

In February 2024, extensive archaeological investigations were carried out on the former SS site of the Gusen concentration camp in coordination with the Burghauptmannschaft Österreich (BHÖ). The explorations provide a fascinating insight into the site's past. 

With the help of selective exploratory excavations, a professional team of archaeologists succeeded in identifying and precisely measuring the above-ground and underground structural remains of barracks, paths and other infrastructure. The excavation work also brought to light a number of artefacts that directly relate to the history of the site from the time of the concentration camp to the present day. With each layer that was removed, the systematic forgetting and suppression in the decades after the war was counteracted and at the same time the basis for even more precise research into the site was created. 

The archaeological investigations contribute to the documentation and preservation of the historical heritage and at the same time form an important basis for the design of a new memorial site. Future construction and design measures at the site must take into account the presence of these archaeological remains and strive to make them comprehensible and understandable for visitors.