Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial

It was opened in 1994 on the site of the main political prison of the former East German Communist Ministry of State Security, the Stasi.

Because of this, today's knowledge of the functioning of the prison comes mainly from eye-witness accounts and documents sourced from other East German institutions.

The area later occupied by the main building housed a factory manufacturing supplies for the soup kitchens of the National Socialist People's Welfare organization.

[3] Living conditions in the camp were deplorable, with death from malnutrition, disease, or common cold.

Although official statistics list 886 deaths at the camp between July 1945 and October 1946, independent estimates put the toll as high as 3,000.

Although torture and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s),[5] psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression[5] and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members, and the use of cells that could be filled with water to prevent the prisoner from sitting or sleeping.

[7] A suggested reason why the torture of East Germany's own citizenry was permitted for so long was the Hohenschönhausen exclusion zone.

[9] The Foundation was initially headed by Gabriele Camphausen, then by Mechthild Günther, who served as provisional director until September 2000.

Visitors may tour in groups only, entrance fees range from €1, for students, to €6, the normal admission price.