Relevant to students of: Life in the GDR and West Germany, the Terror State, Opposition to the GDR.
The Berlin Hohenschönhausen Memorial is a former Stasi prison. Converted from an industrial kitchen to a Soviet Special Camp, the Ministry for State Security took over the East German building in 1951 and created a prison capable of holding thousands of prisoners; Opponents of the GDR, people aiding escapes and political prisoners were all held here. Students are able to explore the prison with artefacts including prison clothes and letters from inmates. The central exhibition is about the incarcerated witnesses of political persecution and a new addition looks at the perpetrators behind their incarceration. Using tablets, a special exhibition allows students to zoom through 160 square metres of the GDR and West Berlin at surveillance, kidnaps, and arrests to understand the prevalence of the Stasi presence.