The Dossin barracks museum in Mechelen

The Dossin complex was built in 1756 on behalf of Maria Theresa of Austria. The city built the barracks, they served as infantry barracks for 2400 soldiers. Later, the property was used for non-infantry and storage. In 1936 the complex was named Kazerne Dossin, its full name is extually Kazerne Dossin de Saint-Georges, named after Lieutenant Général Baron Émile Dossin de Saint-Georges.

Picture by Pixabay

During the Second World War, Kazerne Dossin was set up as a collection and transit camp by the German army, because the barracks were ideally located central between Brussels and Antwerp, the two cities where most Jews lived. A freight railroad next to the complex led the prisoners unseen to the wagons. Today Kazerne Dossin is a museum, memorial, and documentation center devoted to the Holocaust and human rights in general.