Ladelund: Memorial, History and Natural Swimming Pool

Local highlights in Ladelund include the village museum and the internationally significant concentration camp memorial near St. Peter’s Church. Other attractions include archaeological finds dating from the Late Bronze Age to the Viking Age, the history of car manufacturer Paul Kleinschnittger and the natural swimming pool. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Ladelund, you can choose where to stay based on the things that interest you locally: the memorial and remembrance, early settlement history, the natural swimming pool or equestrian sports.

Concentration Camp Memorial: Exhibition and Visits

The memorial complex includes a documentation centre, graves for 300 prisoners who died, a partially restored anti-tank ditch, an information memorial stone and the Garden of Encounter. The permanent exhibition is titled “The Concentration Camp in the Village. History and Aftermath of the Ladelund Subcamp” and is available in German, English, Dutch and Danish.

The site of the former camp, the restored section of the anti-tank ditch and the graves are freely accessible at all times. The exhibition, the graves area and the Garden of Encounter are accessible to visitors with disabilities; check the latest visitor information before your trip. The archive is available to interested visitors by prior arrangement. The library focuses on Nazi history and the Ladelund camp.

Archaeological Remains from Several Periods

The excavation at Auf den Toften covered 2.8 hectares and uncovered settlement remains from three different periods. The oldest finds date from the Late Bronze Age. They include a house and a pit reinforced with wood and containing a cup-marked stone.

A Viking Age settlement dating from the 10th century included around 20 sunken-featured buildings, most of which were used as workshops. Finds in a well-preserved sunken-featured building included traces of textile production, a heating stove and evidence of a forge. Glass and rock crystal beads, as well as a rolled-up piece of gold wire, suggest that a goldsmith worked at the settlement. Slag finds also indicate that glass was produced there. Given its exceptional finds and high concentration of workshops, the settlement is considered an important archaeological site and a unique testament to the past.

Paul Kleinschnittger and Local Automotive History

The history of the automobile is also closely linked to Ladelund. In 1939, designer Paul Kleinschnittger began developing cars there and built a chassis. By the end of the 1940s, the first prototype, the “98er,” was complete. The Kleinschnittger F 125 was developed after the earlier models; its production was moved to Arnsberg in 1950.

Natural Swimming, Equestrian Sports and Cycling

The natural swimming pool consists of two interconnected, spring-fed lakes in a landscaped setting. The water is untreated. Facilities include diving platforms, a large sunbathing lawn, beach volleyball and a kiosk. There is also a separate children’s pool with a slide and an island.

Wilhelminenhof in Ladelund is a boarding and training centre that welcomes recreational riders and amateurs. The Wilhelminenhof Ladelund Riding and Driving Club holds three major competitions each year: a dressage competition, a show-jumping competition and the Ladelund Show-Jumping Days. Dates and programmes may change; check event details before your trip.

The Border Route passes through Ladelund and can be explored by bicycle. There is a signposted turn-off and bicycle parking at the memorial. Check route information and local facilities before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Gröde, Poppenbüll, Uphusum, Sprakebüll, Wisch, Bordelum, Sankt Peter-Ording and Dagebüll.

Return to the main travel overview: North Frisia.