Gedenkstätte Lindenstraße 54/55

The Lindenstrasse Memorial is a former courthouse with an attached prison complex that displays exhibitions on political persecution across different eras of German history. The building allows visitors to explore the rooms and experience multiple phases of oppression in the spaces where they occurred.

The building was erected in 1737 and later became a persecution site under the Nazis during World War II. After 1945 the Soviet secret police used it as a prison until 1952, and it continued serving as a detention facility during the East German period.

The memorial shows how prisoners from different periods of German history suffered and resisted in this place. The exhibitions make visible who was imprisoned here and why their stories matter today.

Visitors can view the cells and interrogation rooms on their own or join guided tours that explain the history of different periods. It is advisable to allow enough time for your visit since the exhibitions contain many personal stories.

The building gained attention in 1989 through a peaceful occupation when citizens demanded control, helping to bring about the end of political repression in the city. This takeover is considered one of the symbolic events in the peaceful dissolution of East Germany.

Location: Potsdam

Inception: 1737

Architects: Philipp Gerlach, Christian Heinrich Ziller

GPS coordinates: 52.40053,13.05229

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:02