Topography of Terror

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●   Museums
●   Museums

The past of Berlin is incredibly unsettling. The complicated histories of modern Berlin include being the scene of the Nazis' rise to political dominance, Hitler's headquarters during World War II, and a city torn apart by the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.

The Topography of Terror aims to provide a thorough and organized account of the factors that led to Nazi military aggression, the Holocaust, and the Berlin Wall. Visitors to the German capital would be remiss if they failed to visit at least one museum or memorial to the horrors of the recent past.

Things to do at Topography Of Terror:

1. Get an insight into the horrendous experience from the past:

A trip to the Topography of Terror can be a genuinely terrifying experience because it forces one to face the evil that swept through Germany while standing where countless violations of human dignity took place. However, it can also be a chance for catharsis and a motivator to recall the atrocities committed by the Nazis while never allowing them to happen again. Most visitors, both foreigners and locals alike, highly recommend the experience.

2. Walk around the ruins of the Center for Documentation.

On the former site of the Gestapo and SS headquarters and the Reich Security Main Office, there is a free museum called the Topography of Terror Documentation Center that is indoors and outdoors. Under the Nazi regime, these were the major security organizations in charge of policing, forced labor, and upholding despotism. Since allied bombs damaged the buildings in 1945 and the last of its physical remnants had been demolished by 1956, there is now little visible evidence of its dark past on the site. A portion of the site is located along Niederkirchnerstraße, also known as Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, which served as the boundary between the Soviet and American sectors in postwar Berlin.

3. Displays of The Gestapo, SS, and Reich Security Main Office:

Three permanent collections are housed in the Topography of Terror Documentation Center and Terrain. Over 800 square meters, this exhibition is divided into three major thematic sections that discuss the Nazi regime's institutions of terror, their victims, and their roles in occupied Europe. Modern images and documents enable visitors to gain a multifaceted understanding of these topics.

There are several chapters in the exhibit:

Institutions of Terror Under National Socialist Control (SS and Police) • Extermination, Terror, and Persecution on Reich Territory • Main Office of the SS and Reich Security in the Occupied Countries • The War's End and the Postwar Period

4. Special displays enrich your knowledge furthermore:

Additionally, the museum hosts a unique exhibit that explores relevant subjects unrelated to the museum's physical location. The exhibition's focal point is a huge urban model of the Nuremberg parade grounds created by Albert Speer, the head architect of the Nazi Party.

  • imageDuration Required
    1 hour

Address of Topography of Terror

Niederkirchnerstrasse 8, 10963 Berlin, Germany

Opening & Closing time of Topography of Terror

  • Monday
    10:00-20:00
  • Tuesday
    10:00-20:00
  • Wednesday
    10:00-20:00
  • Thursday
    10:00-20:00
  • Friday
    10:00-20:00
  • Saturday
    10:00-20:00
  • Sunday
    10:00-20:00