The Erich Maria Remarque Peace Centre

He was an Osnabrücker. And his birthplace left its mark on the works of Erich Maria Remarque. If you want to find out, for example, whether the locations from the "Black Obelisk" still exist today, you should pay a visit to the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Centre. The centre, which is dedicated to the internationally renowned writer, is located in the heart of Osnabrück's old town, between the city library, town hall and St Mary's Church. His books have been translated into more than 65 languages and still have a worldwide audience of millions.

In an extensive permanent exhibition, visitors can learn about the life and work of the "militant pacifist". Entitled "Independence - Tolerance - Humour", the exhibition uses photographs, documents and manuscripts to take a look at a man who achieved worldwide fame with his anti-war novel "Nothing New in the West". In Nazi Germany, however, his work was subject to censorship. His books were also burnt in 1933 and he himself was threatened with persecution on political grounds. He therefore left his homeland, lived in other European countries and finally went to the USA. The exhibition attempts to illustrate the fractures, contradictions and controversies in Remarque's life and to emphasise their productivity for his work. Numerous original artefacts such as the death mask and Remarque's original desk complement the presentation.

The foyer of the centre also regularly hosts special exhibitions that focus on war and peace, resistance, persecution and emigration as well as their representation in the media.

The Erich Maria Remarque Peace Centre is also a place of research. It houses the world's largest Remarque archive. Whether pupil, student or historian, anyone researching the writer is welcome here.