Topography of Terror

A place where the horror is ever-present, a place of remembrance and warning. “Topography of Terror” – this is the name now given to the site where, between 1933 and 1945, the most important institutions of the Nazi apparatus of persecution and terror were located : the headquarters of the Secret State Police (Gestapo), the Reichsführung-SS and the Security Service (SD) of the SS, as well as, from 1939 onwards, the Reich Security Main Office.

With more than two million visitors a year, the Topography of Terror is one of Germany’s most visited memorial sites and museums.

The permanent exhibition

The permanent exhibition ‘Topography of Terror. The Gestapo, SS and Reich Security Main Office in Wilhelmstraße and Prinz-Albrecht-Straße’ provides information about these institutions and the crimes they perpetrated. Photographs and documents in five sections shed light on the history from the Nazi seizure of power to the end of the war:

• The Nazi seizure of power
• Institutions of terror (SS and police)
• Terror, persecution and extermination within the Reich
• The SS and the Reich Security Main Office in the occupied territories
• The end of the war and the post-war period

You can find out more in our changing exhibitions, which explore various aspects of National Socialism.

A second permanent exhibition at the excavation site along Niederkirchnerstraße,‘Berlin 1933–1945: Between Propaganda and Terror’, explores Nazi policies in Berlin and their consequences for the city and its population. It shows how the Nazis managed to gain a foothold in Berlin and develop the city into the political centre of their regime. The exhibition is open all year round. The glass panels offer a view of the excavations on the site.

Guided tour

The 15-stop tour takes you directly to the sites where events unfolded. Photographs, graphics and documents provide in-depth information. The site also includes the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall in the centre of Berlin.

Documentation Centre for Nazi Forced Labour

The Topography of Terror Foundation also runs the Documentation Centre for Nazi Forced Labour ‘ ’ in Schöneweide, a former assembly centre for forced labourers.

Wilhelmstraße History Trail

In the nearby Wilhelmstraße, the former government district, numerous ministries of the Nazi state were located. Thirty information panels provide details about the history of the buildings.

Historical Overview

In the summer of 1933, the Gestapo began using the Secret State Police Headquarters as a so-called ‘house prison’ for political prisoners. They interrogated and tortured the prisoners in the offices. Most were subsequently transferred to prisons and concentration camps. The Gestapo imprisoned a total of 15,000 opponents of the Nazi regime in the ‘house prison’. Among the prisoners were Georg Elser and members of the resistance groups the Red Orchestra, the Kreisau Circle and the 20 July Resistance.

After the end of the war, the site lay derelict for a long time. It was not until 1987, to mark the 750th anniversary, that a temporary exhibition was set up, which, due to the great interest it generated, quickly developed into a permanent project.

Accessibility

An induction loop system is available (ticket office, exhibition, auditorium).
The Topography of Terror website provides specific information for deaf and people with cognitive impairments (including information in sign language and plain language).
Audio guides and an app for the tour of the grounds are available. The app allows users to access commentary in sign language and in an audio format.
All rooms, facilities and exhibition areas are wheelchair-accessible. Assistance dogs (companion dogs, guide dogs, etc.) are permitted.
Special accessible guided tours are offered for people with cognitive impairments.

Nearby attractions

• Martin-Gropius-Bau
• Berlin House of Representatives
• Potsdamer Platz
• Wilhelmstraße History Trail
• Checkpoint Charlie
• Museum of Communication
• German Spy Museum

Information for groups

Guided tours for groups are available in various languages.

Opening hours