The Swiss Federal government has issued a call for the design for a national memorial monument to the victims of Nazism that will be erected in the heart of the Swiss capital, Bern. Deadline for submission is October 10.
Creation of the monument is being overseen by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the City of Bern. The Federal Council approved creating of the monument in 2023 and has allocated 2.5 million Swiss Francs (€2.7 million) for the project.
“The [Swiss]Federal Council believes it is important to keep alive the memory of the consequences of National Socialism, namely the Holocaust and the fate of the six million Jews and all other victims of the Nazi regime,” information on the Swiss Foreign Affairs Department web site states.
The memorial will be erected on the central Casinoterrasse, in the heart of Bern near the Federal Parliament.
The competition is open to all interested applicants and has a two stage process.
The jury will initially select a number of teams composed from the fields of architecture/landscape architecture, art, and history education who will then work up their entries. The winning entry will then be selected from this group in early 2026. The monument is due to be built in 2027/2028..
“The aim is to select a project that honors the victims of National Socialism, while also encouraging a deeper examination of Swiss history during the Nazi era and the present-day repercussions of the mass crimes committed,” an announcement said.
The design should be contemporary and aesthetically compelling, and should highlight the memorial’s key themes – the persecution suffered, the links between the victims and Switzerland, and the question of historical responsibility. The site of remembrance is intended as a living memorial that creates a space for dialogue and promotes awareness of moral courage, solidarity, human rights and democracy.
The monument project falls under the broader project “Memorial to the victims of National Socialism.” This also includes a cross-border information and education centre in St Gallen’s Rhine Valley under development with the Jewish Museum in Hohenems, Austria, local authorities, and the Canton of St Gallen. The center will focus on the history of refugees in the Nazi era, in Switzerland as a whole and also from a local perspective. It will form part of a national network of memorials also currently under development.
See full details and links here
See FAQs about the memorial project here
See details and links to documents about submitting designs