What is the Stasi Museum in Berlin and why is it important?

The Stasi Museum is located in House 1 of the former GDR Ministry for State Security headquarters and documents the history of the Stasi, the East German secret police force. The museum preserves the original offices of Erich Mielke, the Minister for State Security, and provides crucial insight into how the oppressive regime conducted surveillance and controlled its population during the Cold War.

When did the Stasi Museum open to the public?

The Stasi Museum opened on November 7, 1990, just months after demonstrators took over the Stasi headquarters on January 15, 1990. Civil rights activists from the 'Antistalinistische Aktion' (ASTAK) association secured and preserved the historic site, opening it as a Research Centre and Memorial with the exhibition 'Against the Sleep of Reason.'

What can you see inside the Stasi Museum?

The centerpiece of the museum is Erich Mielke's offices, which are preserved in their original condition exactly as they were during the GDR era. The permanent exhibition 'State Security in the SED Dictatorship,' which opened in January 2015, provides comprehensive information about the Stasi's operations and the profound impact its surveillance activities had on the East German population.

Where is the Stasi Museum located in Berlin?

The Stasi Museum is located at Normannenstrasse on the grounds of the former GDR Ministry for State Security headquarters, in House 1 of the complex. This building was constructed in 1960-61 specifically as the offices for Minister Erich Mielke and the headquarters of the secret police force.

Who established the Stasi Museum and how?

The museum was established by ASTAK (Antistalinistische Aktion e.V.), an association founded by members of the Berlin citizens' committee and civil rights activists in August 1990. When the government's initial declaration to create a memorial failed to materialize, these activists took independent action to secure and preserve the historic site, opening it to the public as a memorial and research center.

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Berlin | The Stasi Museum

Name: Berlin | The Stasi Museum
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Normannenstraße 20/Haus 1, 10365 Berlin, Germania• ★★★★☆• 4,832 views

Miriam Agreeste

Berlin

About Berlin | The Stasi Museum

The Stasi was the GDR’s infamous secret police force. Considering itself the “shield and sword of the party” it ran a covert war against perceived enemies of the state.The Stasimuseum is located in House 1 on the former grounds of the headquarters of the GDR Ministry for State Security (MfS). The building was erected in 1960-61 as the offices of Erich Mielke, who served as Minister for State Security from 1957 until the end of the GDR. On 15 January 1990 demonstrators took over the Stasi headquarters. A week later, the Central Round Table, a committee made up of representatives of the SED dictatorship and civil rights groups, decided that a “memorial and research centre on GDR Stalinism” should be established in House 1. When nothing came of this declaration of intent, members of the Berlin citizens’ committee and other civil rights activists took action and began securing the historic site. In August they founded the association “Antistalinistische Aktion e.V.” (ASTAK). On 7 November 1990, it opened the Research Centre and Memorial at Normannenstrasse with an exhibition titled “Against the Sleep of Reason”. House 1, later named the Stasi Museum, has been open to the public ever since. The offices of Erich Mielke are preserved in their original condition and form the centrepiece of the historic site. Since 1990, ASTAK has shown different exhibitions, providing information about the State Security and how its activities affected the GDR population. The permanent exhibition “State Security in the SED Dictatorship,” which the association created jointly with the Stasi Records Agency, opened in House 1 in January 2015.