Things Tell Stories. Archaeology of the Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp System

Since 2002, archaeologists have been investigating the material remains of the Mauthausen concentration camp and its subcamps. They uncover traces and finds in the ground, analyse objects from the everyday life in the camp, and study buildings and landscapes. The archaeological finds are silent yet powerful testimonies to history: they tell of the lives and deaths of the prisoners, of the actions of the perpetrators, and of the structures of forced labour and violence. At the same time, archaeology investigates how the camps were used, transformed, forgotten and preserved after 1945. These material artefacts open up new perspectives on the Nazi camp system. Alongside eyewitness accounts, photographs and written sources, they constitute an important source that deepens and complements our understanding. 

The exhibition Things Telling Stories: The Archaeology of the Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp System presents, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of two decades of archaeological research in Mauthausen and its satellite camps. The exhibition demonstrates how archaeology is becoming an important voice in the culture of remembrance. It brings home the fact that history remains inscribed in the ground. Visitors are invited to engage with the material evidence, discover the stories behind it and gain new perspectives on the Mauthausen-Gusen camp system.

The temporary exhibition was conceived and curated by the Mauthausen Memorial in collaboration with the Institute of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology (UHA) at the University of Vienna and the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Innsbruck.

The exhibition catalogue is available for download here.

Prisoner tag belonging to Alfredo Brambilla, Close-up of the tag with chiseled inscription. Photographer: Yvonne Burger