Hohenschönhausen

The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is a powerful reminder of oppression in former East Germany. After reunification, many East Germans were shocked to discover how deeply the Stasi – the notorious secret police – had infiltrated their lives, often using friends and relatives as informants. The museum, located in a former Stasi prison, reveals the methods used to control and intimidate citizens. The complex was originally built in 1938 and in May 1945 it became a Soviet internment camp for war criminals and political opponents. By 1946, it was under the control of the KGB, the Soviet secret police.

In 1951, the Stasi took over, transforming it into a place of harsh interrogations and psychological torture. Today, visitors can see the prison transport bus, the bare interrogation rooms, and the daylight-deprived cells. In the basement, the most dangerous inmates were kept in complete isolation. Over forty years, more than 10,000 people were interrogated here at Genslerstrasse 66, many of whom spent years in these cells before standing trial.