Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen

Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen is the former Stasi secret police prison in Berlin, preserved today as a memorial and museum. The site offers a close look at how political prisoners were detained and interrogated during the East German era. Stark corridors, sparse cells, and original facilities show the daily reality inside the compound.

Tours that bring the past into focus

Visits are guided only, ensuring context and accuracy throughout the complex. Guides explain how the prison operated, from intake and surveillance to interrogation methods and isolation practices. Some tours are led by people who were once imprisoned here, adding first-hand accounts to the historical record. Their stories highlight routines, pressures, and moments that official files do not capture.

Groups move through cell blocks, exercise yards, and administrative rooms while hearing about the broader security system that supported the Stasi. Exhibits and photographs supplement the walk, connecting individual memories to state policies and the city’s postwar division.