Topography of Terror

The documentation centre "Topography of Terror" is located on historic grounds. Between 1933 and 1945, the central institutions responsible for the repressive and criminal policies of National Socialism were located on the terrain of the "Topography of Terror", situated between Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse (today Niederkirchnerstrasse), Wilhelmstrasse and Anhalter Strasse.

Here, in close proximity to the traditional government district, the Secret State Police, the SS leadership and the Reich Security Main Office set up their offices: the administrative headquarters of the Secret State Police and the notorious Gestapo "house prison" were located at Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse 8; the neighbouring Hotel Prinz Albrecht housed the offices of the SS Reich leadership; and the Security Service (SD) of the SS Reich leadership was established at Wilhelmstrasse 102. As of 1939, Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse 8 was also the address of the newly founded Reich Security Main Office.

With the concentration of these institutions at one site, this area in effect became the government district of the National Socialist SS and Police State. This is where Himmler, Heydrich, Kaltenbrunner and their assistants had their desks.

At this "site of the perpetrators", important decisions were made concerning the persecution of political opponents, the "Germanisation" of occupied territories in Poland and the Soviet Union, the murder of Soviet prisoners of war and the genocide of the European Jews.

This is where the infamous Special Police Units (Einsatzgruppen) were assembled and where the "Wannsee Conference" was prepared. There is no other site where terror and murder were planned and organised on the same scale.

For current visiting hours, please visit the website of the museum.

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Source

• Text: Stiftung Topographie des Terrors
• Photos: Ewoud van Eig (1, 3), Fedor de Vries (2), Bert Deelman (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

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