In the center of Berlin, on Wilhelmstrasse, the government street, the headquarters of the SS, the Gestapo and the SD were located until 1945. The buildings that housed these Nazi institutions were pre-existing buildings. In 1934, they were expropriated to house the Nazi party troops that controlled the state until the end of the Second World War.
In these places were the offices of, among others, the heads of the SS, Heinrich Himler or the head of security, Reinhardt Heydrich. The basements of the Gestapo headquarters also housed cells through which hundreds of people passed who did not submit to the National Socialist regime.
The buildings were badly damaged by the bombing of the second world war. After the conflict, the American occupiers decided to tear down the surviving ruins. Today, the space is occupied by the Topography of Terror Foundation.
How to get there
The former SS and Gestapo headquarters are located on Wilhemstrasse, the traditional German government street. To get there we must go to the Kochstr./Checkpoint Charlie metro station. with the metro line U6. To find out the best combination to get there, you can consult the following LINK.
Opening hours
- Every day from 10:00 to 20:00
Free admission
Visit the Topography of Terror
The Topography of Terror permanent exhibition chronicles the history of the SS, Gestapo and SD from their inception to their dissolution in 1945 and the subsequent persecution of their escaped members. The exhibition has large information panels where texts, photographs and maps about the history of these organizations are displayed.
Between April and October, a temporary open-air exhibition is always placed outside the building, which changes the theme every two years.
Recommendations when visiting the SS and Gestapo Headquarters
Although the exhibition is located on the historical site of the SS headquarters, no original element remains beyond the basements of the buildings, where the archives of the buildings were located. The exhibition does not include objects from the period, so if we are very interested in this topic, it is more advisable to buy the exhibition book , which includes all of the above. The exhibition only has texts in German and English. The exhibition book can be purchased in Spanish.