Vogelsang former Nazi Ordensburg

From the Urft dam the ridge above the water looks almost peaceful, until you notice the massive tower and the long rows of buildings. Here, in what is now Eifel National Park, the Nazi Party began building a training castle for its future leaders in 1934. Apart from the Nuremberg rally grounds, the Vogelsang Ordensburg is the largest surviving ensemble of Nazi-era architecture in Germany. Today it is a place of learning and remembrance that shows how architecture was turned into propaganda.

History: training a "master race"

In 1933 Hitler called for new schools for the party's next generation. Party leader Robert Ley commissioned three "Ordensburgen": Crössinsee in Pomerania, Sonthofen in the Allgäu and Vogelsang in the Eifel, paid for with the confiscated assets of the trade unions. Cologne architect Clemens Klotz designed Vogelsang; ground was broken on 16 March 1934, and up to 1,500 workers completed the first phase in just two years. From 1936 young men were trained here as party "Junker" until the outbreak of war in 1939 ended teaching.

Much more was planned, including a "House of Knowledge" measuring 100 by 300 metres and a 2,000-bed hotel. After the war British and, from 1950, Belgian forces used the site as "Camp Vogelsang" until 2005. It has been open to the public since 1 January 2006 and has had its own Nazi documentation centre since 2016.

What to see

• Permanent exhibition "Bestimmung: Herrenmensch": Around 800 m² on the history of the site, subtitled "Nazi Ordensburgen between fascination and crime". Fully accessible.
• Tower: 48 metres high; a guided climb of 177 steps gives views over the complex, the Urft lake and the national park.
• Comradeship houses and Thingplatz: Terraced dormitories down the slope and an assembly arena, explained by yellow information panels.
• Torch-bearer: A monumental propaganda figure by sculptor Willy Meller.
• Eifel National Park Centre: The nature exhibition "Wildnis(t)räume" in the same building.

Opening hours and prices (as of October 2026)

Visitor centre and exhibitions open daily 10:00–17:00.

• Exhibition: €12, reduced €8, family €26, under-13s free.
• Site tour (90 min): €12, €10 online; March to October daily at 14:00, plus 11:00 at weekends. Advance booking is essential.
• Tower climb (about 45 min): €8, max. 15 people, no lift.

Getting there

The address is Vogelsang 70, 53937 Schleiden, near Gemünd. The visitor car park charges a fee. On foot or by bike you can come up from the Urft lake over the 150-metre Victor Neels Bridge.

Good to know

The site tour is not step-free, but the exhibition is. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the foyer but not in the exhibition. Tours are also offered in English and Dutch, and the Panorama Restaurant in the visitor centre is open daily. From November to February a winter ticket for €19 includes the exhibition, coffee and cake and the parking fee.

Tripto tip

Allow at least three hours: take the site tour first, then the exhibition. For the most striking view of the complex, look up at it from the shore of the Urft lake or the dam.