EL-DE Haus, Nazi documentation center in Altstadt-Nord, Germany.
EL-DE Haus is a four-story corner building in Altstadt-Nord with neo-classical architecture, a tuff stone facade, and a rounded corner. The structure displays six axes on its main facade and shapes the streetscape with its distinctive form.
From 1935 to 1945, the building served as headquarters for the Cologne Gestapo with interrogation rooms and prison cells in the basement. The period under secret police control left deep scars on the city's history.
The building is named after a former owner and now serves as a place of remembrance for Cologne's darkest period. Visitors can discover traces of the past that remain preserved within these walls today.
Access is equipped with stairs and elevators that guide visitors through the different levels. Guided tours in multiple languages are available, and school groups can use special educational programs.
The basement rooms contain over 1800 inscriptions that prisoners carved into the walls during their captivity. These markings form direct testimonies of personal experiences from a time of extreme oppression.
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