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The terrain of the Topography of Terror is an authentic place, a place of perpetrators. From 1933 to 1945, the most important facilities of national socialist persecution and terror apparatus were located here. The headquarter of the Secret State Police was situated in the Prinz-Albrecht-Straße 8, from 1939 on, also the Reich Security Head Office. While the neighbouring hotel Prinz Albrecht, served as a residence for the Reich's SS, moved the Security Agency into the Prinz-Albrecht-Palace in the Wilhelmstraße 102. Thus, the actual government quarter of the national socialist SS and the police state were created.
The around 4,5 hectare large premises sank into oblivation for a long time. The 'rediscovery' of this area in the run-up to Berlin's 750-year celebration, is due to engaged citizens. Within the great Berlin Culture-Historic Exhibition, Berlin was presented in a temporary pavilion with the first exhibition of the Topography of Terror in 1987. It was intended as a temporary exhibition, developed into a visitor magnet. With the opening of the new Documentation and Visitor Centre in May 2010, the number of visitors has increased (up to now around 500.000 per year).
Inside the building, on 800 sq m is the permanent exhibition Topography of Terror, Gestapo, SS and Reich Security Main Office in the Wilhelm- and Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, to be seen. It gives fundamental information about the SS and Gestapo, which had their headquarters here between 1933 and 1945, and about these institutions, its leaders and their staff who planed their crimes in this place.
The foundation, regards the whole terrain of the Topography of Terror as a first exhibit of its documentation. The terrain walkabout with 15 exhibition stations introduces visitors to the history directly of this place. Integrated into the terrain walkabout are the two monuments of this historical place: the floor monument with foundation remnants of the former Gestapo in-house prison and monument Berlin wall.
Altogether circa 15.000 political enemies of the NS-Regime were detained and interrogated here. Most of them from the forbidden parties and resistance groups like the 'Roten Kapelle' (Red Chapel) and the '20. Juli' (20th July). Among them such well-known personalities like the social democrats Kurt Schumacher, Julius Leber, Rudolf Breitscheid, the communists Georgi Dimitroff, Ernst Thälmann, the liberals Ferdinand von Friedensburg, Martin Niemöller, members of the 'Roten Kapelle' like Harro Schulze-Boysen and Arvid Harnack.
In the exhibition trench, below the Berlin wall, informs the exhibition Berlin 1933-1945. Between propaganda and terror about the consequences of the national-socialist politics in the city of Berlin and its population. There never was a relevant encompassing study. The reason for that, the divide of the city Berlin and the relating thereto fragmentation of important files. This exhibition is not available all year round and is being dismantled in the meantime.
The Topography of Terror is a learning venue. Here, history is being conveyed.
Democracy has to be fought for day after day. This is the message, that visitors will take from this place today.
Address:
Open-Air exhibition Topography of Terror
Niederkirchnerstrasse 8
10963 Berlin
Transport Links: 
S1, S2 Anhalter Bahnhof or Potsdamer Platz 
U2 Potsdamer Platz, U6 Kochstraße
Opening Times:
daily 10am - 8pm outside areas until nightfall (latest 8pm)
Free admission
030 / 254509-50
Fax 030 254509-77
fuehrungen@topographie.de
Guided tours by arrangement
www.topographie.de