District Court Münchner Platz, Cultural heritage monument at Münchner Platz, Dresden, Germany
The courthouse on Münchner Platz is a four-story complex with Neo-Renaissance elements and red brick facades, containing prison cells, execution rooms, and courtroom areas. The spaces retain their original layout, revealing how justice and imprisonment were physically organized within the building.
The building opened in 1907 and served as a courthouse and prison until 1956. It experienced Nazi rule, Soviet occupation, and early East German governance, functioning as a site of political persecution under each regime.
The site displays photographs and personal items of those convicted for political beliefs under different regimes. The exhibits show how the legal system functioned as a tool of oppression across successive periods of rule.
Guided tours show the prison areas, execution rooms, and courtrooms and are typically available from Tuesday through Sunday. Allow sufficient time to explore the different levels and sections, as the complex is extensive and contains many spaces to see.
A stone inscribed with the final words of resistance fighter Georg Schumann remains in the execution chamber. This fragile artifact documents a moment of personal defiance at the moment of death under dictatorial pressure.
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