Hohenschönhausen Memorial Museum

The Hohenschönhausen Memorial Museum is located in a building where, after the end of World War II, a Soviet special camp was located, and then the main remand prison in the GDR for the pre-trial detention of suspects in political crimes.

Thousands of political prisoners were detained here, almost all known representatives of the East German opposition, dissidents, etc. visited. But for the most part, the prisoners included people who were simply trying or about to escape across the Berlin Wall to the West, accomplices of the fugitives, and those who applied for leave permits. As much of the building and furnishings remain almost untouched, the memorial provides a very authentic picture of the prison regime in the GDR, and visitors have a unique chance to understand what the conditions and methods of punishment for political criminals in the GDR were.

In 1992, the prison was recognized as a historical monument, and in 1994 for the first time opened its doors to visitors. In July 2000, the Memorial Museum received the official status of an independent public foundation. It regularly hosts exhibitions, expositions, meetings dedicated to the topic of political repression.

It is possible as an independent inspection of the memorial, and group tours with guides (by prior arrangement).