Villa ten Hompel, Munster

Villa ten Hompel is a powerful and thoughtful destination for any visitor intent on understanding Germany’s complex 20th-century history. Built in the 1920s for industrial magnate Rudolf ten Hompel-once one of the wealthiest men in Munster and a Reichstag member-the elegant villa later became the regional headquarters of the Ordnungspolizei (uniformed police) under Nazi rule. It is here that deportation trains were organized and orders executed across North Rhine‑Westphalia and beyond.

Since 1999, the villa has served as a historical site dedicated to reflection, research, and education. The municipality transformed the building into a memorial and exhibition centre aimed at exposing the administrative machinery behind state crimes and promoting democratic awareness. The official opening on 13 December 1999, attended by NRW’s Minister President and Jewish community leaders, marked a commitment to remembrance and historical responsibility.

Visitors can explore the thought‑provoking permanent exhibition “Im Auftrag” (“On Behalf Of”), which explores the role of police and government administration in perpetrating Nazi injustices, particularly against Jewish and other persecuted populations. Equipped with multimedia displays, original documents, photo albums, police artifacts, and archival materials, the exhibition engages visitors with both broad overviews and deeply human stories. A specialist library and archive offer further resources for deeper exploration.

In addition to its fixed exhibition, Villa ten Hompel hosts rotating thematic exhibitions, events, seminars, and workshops daily that examine administrative history, war crimes, reparations, and democratic education. Guided tours and project days by appointment, as well as free monthly tours (often led by student historians), invite visitors into meaningful dialogue about guilt, accountability, and memory. Admission is free, and multilingual guides are offered. It’s a reflective and enriching stop for anyone visiting Munster looking to engage deeply with local and national history.