Friedland is best understood through the history of the Border Transit Camp. The museum in the historic railway station, St. Norbert and the stops on a guided tour each offer a different perspective: the exhibition traces the camp’s history from 1945 to the present, while the church and other historic sites reflect different periods. When planning your visit, it helps to distinguish between the museum, a tour of the camp grounds and the broader range of stops across the municipality of Friedland. The wider Göttingen travel destination also offers independent cultural and garden-related themes.
Museum and tours at the Border Transit Camp
The Friedland Museum is located in the historic railway station in Friedland. Its permanent exhibition, “Fluchtpunkt Friedland,” covers the history of the Border Transit Camp from 1945 to the present across 350 m². The exhibition is presented entirely in German and English. It offers a focused introduction to the history of the camp, spanning the period from 1945 to the present day.
Tours are offered both through the exhibition and around the grounds of the Border Transit Camp. They are available in German, English and Arabic. Advance booking is required for guided visits; check current availability beforehand. The tour of the grounds includes the Nissen hut and the Friedland Bell. For language planning, the distinction is useful: the exhibition is in German and English, while tours are also offered in Arabic.
Church, memorial and historic markers
The Catholic Church of St. Norbert offers another perspective. It was built in 1954/55 on Heimkehrerstraße in the Friedland Border Transit Camp, in the district of Göttingen. Located opposite the Border Transit Camp, it was from the outset a point of contact for returning prisoners of war, refugees, expellees and people without a home. It is a church monument of particular significance. The close connection between its furnishings and its history makes St. Norbert one of the most important postwar churches in the Diocese of Hildesheim. A statue of a returning prisoner of war also stands at the church.
The Friedland Memorial stands on Hagenberg. An earlier historical landmark is the meridian marker, erected in the Friedländer Holz in 1820/21. The church, memorial and meridian marker represent different historical themes and periods, complementing the museum’s focus without repeating it.
More stops in the municipality of Friedland
A route through the municipality of Friedland passes Rittergut Besenhausen, continues through Friedland and the Border Transit Camp, and then leads to Klein Schneen and its gravel lakes. It describes a series of stops across the municipality and is distinct from a tour focused on the grounds of the Border Transit Camp. In summer, Rittergut Besenhausen hosts changing exhibitions and concerts as part of Besenhausener Sommer. As individual events may vary, it is worth checking the current program before your visit.
More perspectives in the wider Göttingen travel destination
The wider Göttingen travel destination also offers independent themes at Forum Wissen and the Old Botanical Garden. At Forum Wissen, visitors gain insights into ongoing research and teaching. The permanent exhibition “Räume des Wissens” (Spaces of Knowledge) covers 1,400 square meters and allows visitors to explore the processes through which knowledge is created. Its twelve rooms contain more than 1,400 objects from the collections of the University of Göttingen. A visit therefore combines insights into research and teaching with an exhibition about the creation of knowledge.
The Old Botanical Garden in Göttingen was founded in 1736 as a “hortus medicus,” or medicinal garden. Visitors can explore historic greenhouses, tropical vegetation in the Rainforest House and the Alpine Garden. While Forum Wissen focuses on research and collections of knowledge, the Botanical Garden offers a different perspective on history and the plant world.
Discover more destinations: Ebergötzen, Duderstadt, Bovenden, Obernfeld, Bad Grund (Harz), Adelebsen, Gleichen, Staufenberg.
For the wider travel overview: Göttingen.
