| History - World War II tips and photos posted by real travelers and Berlin locals. • 122 Photos
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The area west of Checkpoint Charlie used to be home to some of the most sinister buildings of the Third Reich, such as the Gestapo and Secret Service Headquarters.
After World War II all of the buildings were demolished except for the cellars. These days, the underground cells now house a very interesting open-air exhibition called the Topographie des Terrors.
This free exhibit documents the history of the brutal institutions of the Nazi regime that occupied its site and their historical importance. It consists of a large series of photographs with German captions. You can get a free audio guide in English from the information booth, or just walk around as we did, finding that the photos were descriptive enough to help us understand the accompanying text. Leave a Comment
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 to the victims of Holocaust by magor65Leave a Comment Directions: to the south of the Branderburger Tor
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 by SjalenLeave a Comment Address: OpernplatzDirections: Along Unter den Linden, next to the Opera.
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 Bendlerblock by KellyVanRijnLeave a Comment Address: Stauffenbergstrasse 13-15Directions: Located in the Tiergarten District, south of the Tiergarten, about halfway between the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and Potsdammer Platz. Closest U Bahn is a little bit of a walk at the U1 stop at Kurfuerstenstrasse.
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 Sachsenhausen concentration
camp, Oranienburg by der_geografLeave a Comment Directions: GETTING THERE: Oranienburg is north of Berlin, and your best bet is the S-Bahn line S1 from Berlin. Upon arrival in Oranienburg, it is about a 10-15 minute walk to Sachsenhausen, and signs point the way. Easy, non-strenuous walk, no steep inclines.Website: http://www.gedenkstaette-sachsenhausen.de/
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Topographie des Terrors is an area of waste ground where the Prince Albrecht Palais once stood. This was the HQ of the Gestapo who were the secret police of Nazi Germany. Though their maximum number never exceeded 45,000 (one third the present number of police officers in England & Wales) they were so feared it is often assumed their number was far greater than this. You can walk around and markers explain what was where. There is also an exhibition documenting the history of the Nazi State terror. There is a surviving portion of the Berlin Wall behind the exhibition. A new building and documentation centre is going to be opened in 2007. I visited again in September 2007, it appears according to staff that the new building has been put on hold at present. Renovation work was taking place on the exhibition and there is a temporary exhibition at this time, which is still worth visiting. The exhibition charts the history of the Gestapo with some individual personal stories of its prisoners. Each part of the exhibition has an English translation. Leave a Comment
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 Depressing location at
Hitler's headquarters. by Kakapo2
The setting is on a space that hosted the centre of terror of Germany’s Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945. The Führer headquarters (SS), the security service (SD), and the Gestapo with its own prison were located here.
Only the cellars in which prisoners had been tortured were kept as a monument, all the other buildings were razed, so they could not become shrines of old and new Nazis who have not learnt from history.
The exhibition is placed along an excavation ditch right under the Wall and documents the terror that happened right behind your back some decades ago. A sombre place.
They are constructing a building on site which will once become home of this exhibition. I was mostly impressed with this open air exhibition. However, I was there in sunshine, and in winter a visit can be another story, although the panels are sheltered by aves. But I also think you get a better feeling for all the horror of the past by being out there.
Open 10am – 6pm (Oct – April) and 10am – 8pm (May – Sept)
Entry free
Guided tours upon demand, call (030) 25 48 67 03 Address: Niederkirchnerstraße 8, 10963 Berlin-KreuzbergPhone: (030) 25 48 67 03Directions: At walking distance from Potsdamer Platz and Checkpoint Charlie U-Bahn U2, stations Potsdamer Platz and Mohrenstraße S-Bahn S 1, 2 and 25, stations Potsdamer Platz and Anhalter BahnhofWebsite: www.topographie.de
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When I first went to Berlin in May 2003 I tried to find out where the Fuhrer Bunker had been located. I had a rough idea where it was but information was sparse and when I asked in the area I was met with blank looks. The bunker was the last headquarters of Hitler and was in fact 2 bunkers that were interconnecting. The bunker was 17m underground with about 30 rooms and the complex was covered by 3m of concrete. Hitler entered the bunker on 16th January 1945 and never left, committing suicide in the bunker on the 30th April 1945.
In the intervening time from my last visit, the film Downfall had been made and a documentary by a television companies about the bunker. During my visit to Berlin in September 2007 I discovered that attitudes had changed and there is now an information board that had been put up in 2006, indicating where the bunker was located and there is a lot more information on the internet. So what is there? Well apart from the information board not a lot. There is a car park that is in daily use by residents of the nearby flats that covers the bunker underneath. The information available suggests that large parts of the bunker remains under the car park but as the events surrounding the bunker are still recent it may be some time before the bunker may be excavated. Leave a Comment
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Its an exhibition initiated by the Topography Of Terror Foundation and provides historical information about National Socialism and its crimes and wants to hhm kind of initiate active confrontation with this history and its impact since 1945.
Its currently an open air exhibition that you'll find near the Martin-Gropius Building. Its placed along the excavations in the Niederkirchnerstrasse. Behind this exhibition or its projects is still a remaining section of the wall.
They've also a little office where you can buy books, leaflets, catalogues etc and you can also get an audio tour in English/German. That means a little device with headphones, to wear while walking along the exhibition. On some of the exhibition "objects" you will find numbers that you enter on this audio device and then you will get a variety of information about the things you see there. Leave a Comment
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Whilst searching on the internet for bunkers in Berlin I came upon this website that wetted my appetite. Later on I watched a TV program about the numerous tunnels, bunkers, flak towers and buildings that were used as shelters and the new Germania. I was aware of the flak towers that had been constructed for defence during WW2 but that’s where it ended. I therefore made up my mind to visit the remaining flak tower in Berlin. Most people are unaware of its existence because after WW2 the flak tower in Humboldthain Park was partly blown up by the French. The explosives only damaged about half the tower and the concern was that if the rest of the building was blown up it would fall on to the railway cutting below blocking the line. Therefore it was decided to cover over the building with debris and earth to hide it. The park was reconstructed and things seemed to settle down over the years. Over the passage of time a new interest has been born into the history of the tower. The tower in Humboldthain Park was the last of the 3 towers to be built. It was originally planned to build 6 towers but lack of materials and cost haled the project. The flak tower had a huge twin barrelled anti aircraft gun on each of the 4 corners. These guns were protected by 3 smaller calibre machine guns. The tower had a compliment of 160 men to man the guns. Towards the end of WW2 the tower was used as a shelter by the general public. All 3 towers survived the war but the rush was on afterwards to destroy them in case they became a symbol to the Nazis.
I went on a group tour with an enthusiastic English speaking guide, who was happy to answer any questions and processed an excellent knowledge of the history of the tower. A warm coat and sensible footwear are advised. The website gives good directions where to purchase tickets for the tours. Check times & dates for the various tour tours as some are closed during the winter Leave a Comment Address: Berliner Unterwelten e.V. Brunnenstraße 108aPhone: +49 (30) 49 91 05-17Directions: The ticket office is located in the southern entrance of U 8 Gesundbrunnen Subway Station. Tickets should be purchased at least 15 minutes the tour starts.Website: http://berlinerunterwelten.de/en/003/b/003b.htm Other Contact: +49 (30) 49 91 05 18 info line
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