Tour: The Headquarters for the Construction of the Berlin Wall, the Presidium of the People's Police, and the Berlin-Mitte Pretrial Detention Center

On the second floor of the People’s Police headquarters on Keibelstraße, staff at the Wall Construction Headquarters—led by Erich Honecker, then Secretary for Security Affairs on the Central Committee of the SED—planned security and propaganda measures. They oversaw the sealing off of the border with West Berlin and the construction of border fortifications by combat groups, the National People’s Army, the State Security Service, and the People’s Police.

A remand prison was also located in a side wing within the Police Headquarters, where, between 1951 and 1990, men and women were detained on various charges: for offenses classified as criminal, such as theft, or for political offenses such as alleged “anti-social behavior” or “incitement against the state.”

Due to its proximity to the border, the East Berlin remand prison was also often the first place of detention for people accused of so-called “illegal border crossing.”

The special tour of the Keibelstraße Learning Center, organized by the Agency for Education, History, and Politics e.V., explores the history of the People’s Police Headquarters and the pretrial detention center on Keibelstraße, with a focus on the construction of the Berlin Wall and escape attempts.

A maximum of 25 people can participate in the approximately two-hour tour (45-minute guided tour plus time to explore the site on your own).

• The tour is free of charge.

IN GERMAN