Former central Stasi remand prison: guided tours, often led by former inmates, and exhibitions on political imprisonment in the Soviet zone and the GDR.
15. oktober 2026 – 6. januar 2027
Photographer André Wagenzik portrays one hundred people who were held in Stasi custody in the GDR for political reasons. Free admission, accessible by elevator.
In 1945 the Soviet secret service set up a collection camp on the site on Genslerstraße, Special Camp No. 3, where thousands of people were held in miserable conditions. In 1947 it had windowless cells built into the basement of a former industrial kitchen and used the building as its central remand prison; because the cells had no daylight and were completely cut off from the outside world, prisoners called the basement the “U-Boot” (submarine).
In 1951 the newly founded Ministry for State Security (Stasi) of the GDR took over the prison. In the late 1950s prisoners were forced to build a new block with cells and interrogation rooms, and the Stasi's central prison hospital was added as well. The surrounding restricted area did not appear on city maps. Until 1989 more than 11,000 people were imprisoned here for political reasons, including people who wanted to flee, those who had applied to leave the country, and members of the opposition.
After the Peaceful Revolution, the prison was closed in 1990. At the urging of former prisoners it was placed under heritage protection and opened as a memorial in 1994; since 2000 it has been an independent foundation of the state of Berlin. Because the complex has remained largely intact, it conveys an unusually authentic picture of everyday prison life and interrogation methods.
The core of a visit is the guided tour through the cell blocks, interrogation rooms and exercise cells, often led by former political prisoners. The permanent exhibition “Inhaftiert in Hohenschönhausen” (Imprisoned in Hohenschönhausen) documents the history of detention from 1945 to 1989 on around 700 square meters, and a second exhibition is devoted to the female convicts in the work detail. The grounds also hold the last surviving prisoner transport railcar of the Reichsbahn, the so-called “Grotewohl Express.”
| Voksne | 9 € |
|---|---|
| Nedsat pris | 5 €University students, trainees, people with severe disabilities, holders of the Berechtigungsnachweis (formerly berlinpass) or the Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card), recipients of ALG I/II (unemployment benefits), unemployed people, federal volunteer service participants, members of associations of victims of political persecution in the GDR |
| Børn og unge | 2,50 €School students pay €2.50 for the tour. Visit recommended from age 14. |
| Pensionister | –No senior discount. |
| Personer med handicap | 5 €ledsager gratis · Reduced with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis); one companion free. |
| Studerende og elever | 5 €University students pay the reduced rate; school students €2.50. |
| Grupper (fra 7 pers.) | –Group tour (max. 25 people) flat rate €110, reduced €90, school classes €60; advance booking required for groups of 7 or more. Listening and touch tour (max. 12 people) €55/€25, tour in Easy Language (max. 15) €90/€68/€35. |
| Familier | –No family ticket. |
Prices apply to the guided tour of the former prison (including the introductory film). The exhibitions are free and accessible without registration. Advance booking for public tours recommended (max. 25 participants). Payment in cash, by debit card or credit card.
Listed historic complex, not accessible everywhere. Visitor information, cafeteria and bookshop are accessible; the newer prison building and the basement prison can be reached by elevator (not suitable for wide electric wheelchairs); the prison hospital and the exhibition “In Zwangsgemeinschaft” are not wheelchair-accessible. The elevator to the permanent exhibition is activated at the ticket desk. A lightweight wheelchair and folding stools can be borrowed; tactile model of the site; no floor guidance system. Tours in Easy Language and German Sign Language (DGS), as well as listening and touch tours. One accessible parking space directly in front of the entrance.
Kun delvist egnet til børnAnbefales fra 14 år
| Besøgets varighed | ca. 2 t. |
|---|
The memorial recommends visits and tours only from age 14, as the accounts may overwhelm younger children both in content and emotionally.
Tram M5 to Freienwalder Straße, tram M6 and 16 to Genslerstraße; bus 256 to Große-Leege-Straße/Freienwalder Straße. Do not travel to S Hohenschönhausen.
Gratis parkering
Free car parking and eight designated bus parking spaces in the immediate vicinity; one accessible parking space directly in front of the entrance. Buses should wait with the engine switched off.
Cafeteria in the visitor center (daily, snacks and small hot meals). “BuchHandlung ’89” bookshop with literature on GDR history (daily 9:00–18:00). Lockers in various sizes. Pets not allowed (except assistance dogs).
Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette – spørg venligst museet direkte.
| Rundvisninger | ja · varighed ca. 1,5 t. |
|---|---|
| Audioguide | ja (DE, EN, FR, IT, ES, DA, RU) |
| Tilbud til skoler | ja |
| Fotografering | Allowed for private purposes during the tours; audio/video recordings and photos outside the tours only by arrangement with the press office. |
| Godt at vide | Tour approx. 1.5 hours plus introductory film (special tours approx. 2.5 hours). Tickets for public tours online or at the ticket desk; groups of 7 or more book in advance via the form. Group tours in ten languages. Audio guides and multimedia tablets free of charge with a deposit. |
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