Stiftung Topographie des Terrors
Topography of Terror
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What an incredible experience to see the Berlin wall. This place is free to enter on the outside and inside the museum. Best of all, they have free bathrooms in the basement of the museum. Here they have the original Berlin wall in its original location untouched. In a lot of other places the pieces of the Berlin wall have murals and graffiti on them. There's a lot of interesting stories and history to read about how people were affected by the Berlin wall.
This is a totally riveting and at the same time depression inducing museum in the heart of Berlin dedicated to documenting all the horrors of Nazi Germany from its early creation to its demise and past. Tons of pictures and facts about everything. You start at a huge wall outside full of pictures with facts. That is almost enough right there, but they have a chunk of the Berlin Wall remaining right above it (where it originally was), and they have a huge interior with an endless amount of photos and text to read. I believe they offer audio services, too, in order to listen to as you walk around. You will need a lot of time to do the whole museum and not feel rushed. It took us hours, and we were rushing because there was so much to take in. They offer a book with all the photos and a ton of text for sale for 24 Euros translated into many different languages. If you want the book, buy it there. Even Amazon sites in Europe want at least 34 Euros and in America Amazon wanted $180 USD. Good to give teens a wake up call to the horror that was the Holocaust. If you are in Berlin, going is a must!
Date of visit: May 31, 2024 I think it's great that many of the historical and educational sights in Berlin are free, including the Topography of Terrors. The low barrier to entry is important to ensuring that as many people as possible learn about these atrocities and are better informed to prevent them from happening again. There are sections both indoors and out, and pretty much everything is in multiple languages as well, great for those like me with a limited German vocabulary. My only complaint really is that much of the text is quite small, requiring you to get close to read it, but in doing so, blocking the view of others that are also trying to learn and educate themselves.
The information here is vast and stunning. Quite the adventure walking in the ruins of something so sophisticated/complicated while in the middle of Berlin, just taking in the sites. You'll get to understand the general timeline of the war, combined with the after affect of having the Soviets "rescue" you. With the insanely unreasonable follow up of the building of the Berlin Wall, which sits as a nice backdrop for the remaining basement wall of the Gestapo head quarters. Germany has seen a history of consequence in the last 100 years, and they've done their part to own the disgrace of their ancestors with these very in-depth, open, correctly worded/politically correct ("murdered Jews") sites. Come, learn, listen, and leave wiser for it.
There are actually two separate exhibits here: The Berlin Wall Monument, and Topography of Terror focusing on 1933-1945 and Hitler on his takeover of power. The actual wall was much taller than I expected. Thia 160 KM wall separated East and West Berlin for nearly 30 years. In addition to the wall, there are multiple educational posters with photos and descriptions. The Topography of Terror building is located on the same grounds where many of the significant institutions of Nazi terror, including the headquarters of the Secret Police ( Gestapo), The Reich Leadership Headquarters, and the Office of Security. The entire tour is very emotional to explore, but educational at the same time. I will attach photos. I will certainly never forget this experience.
This place is actually two separate exhibits under the same address and is very confusing to visitors. So let me help clear up the confusions for those of you who will be visiting here in the future. The outer exhibits are remnants of the Berlin Wall. This is also known as the "Berlin Wall Monument". The exhibits inside the building are the "Topography of Terror" which document the days of Hitler from 1933 to 1945. I'll focus my review on the Berlin Wall Monument which is the part that interested me most. We should all be thankful to the German government for not demolishing the entire Berlin Wall and erasing all the traces and memories of the past. Remnants of the Berlin Wall still stand in several places in Berlin so that history is firmly engraved in the landscape of the city. (The two other major places are the Berlin Wall Memorial and East Side Gallery). One section of the wall shows both the outer wall and the inner wall, so visitors can learn and understand that the Berlin Wall was actually comprised of two walls, with the area in between called "no man's land", patrolled by armed guards and dogs. Walking along the remnants of the wall was definitely one of the most somber and humbling experiences of my life, knowing that many families have been separated and devastated; numerous lives have been lost. Being able to see the actual remains of the wall and being able to physically touch it and feel it motivated me to learn more about the history of the wall, and of the Cold War and crisis surrounding it. Berlin. A divided city. 1961 - 1989.
I happened to see a billboard ad in the U-Bahn Potsdamer Platz station regarding Topographie des Terrors. It looked intriguing, close by and free, so I made a bee-line to check it out. The fairly new Topography of Terror is pointedly overwhelming with massive content on the Nazi-era SS and Gestapo, and is built on top of the old HQ ruins. There is so much information in the indoor exhibits that your eyes start to glaze over. Everything is in German and English. After reading the initial displays, and dealing with the large crowds, I started to skip some items and just focus on what I found most interesting, such as Section 3.5 on the Persecution of Homosexuals, and the rear sections on elimination of the Jews in each of the overrun countries. Outside the building is a section of the Berlin Wall that was permanently moved there. A special outdoor Warsaw Rising exhibition was historically fascinating and well worth a visit, especially for Americans who probably didn't even learn about it in high school history. I certainly didn't know about this part of WWII where Hitler and Himmler ordered the entire city leveled. I spent longer at the outdoor exhibit than the indoor one.
This is an amazing place and the fact that it is free means everyone should go there. If you start outside, there is a remnant of the Berlin Wall at street level but if you walk down the stairs or the ramp to the outside displays, there is a timeline of how the Weimar Republic folded and gave rise to the Third Reich. The narratives and photos are gripping and only begin to prepare you for what is inside the museum building. The inside channels the further rise of the Third Reich and also profiles how their programs played out not only in Germany but in other countries across Europe. If you have the stamina to be able to read and absorb all of this, I'd say allow a minimum of three hours. After about 90 minutes there, I'll be honest when I say I was a bit overwhelmed so I couldn't focus as much on what I was reading. If possible, it might be better to come back over two days because there is a lot of information and some of it is hard to digest. I found the section on the post-war period particularly fascinating especially as it relates to what happened to various leaders of the movement after the collapse of Nazi Germany. There are parts of the narrative that read like a playbook for populist leaders in the world today....consolidate power, scapegoat others and vilify them so that abuses seem deserved, shut down free speech and severely penalize those that disagree with you. It was somewhat ironic that the president of Turkey was in town while I was visiting this museum. Maybe he should have visited this place. A very important place that should not be missed.
Reluctantly (because it seemed a depressing thing to do on Christmas), I went here on Christmas Day because it was one of the few things open. In spite of my misgivings, this was worth seeing. The outside has a large section of the Berlin Wall and the old foundation walls of the building that was used as the SS torture chambers. Inside the building are displays with a comprehensive history of the Nazis and their acts. Each topic had three levels of detail so that you could decide how much you wanted to read. You could spend an hour or three hours. There were lockers for coats and bags. They were free but required a euro coin to operate. When you return the key, you get the euro back. There is a cafe with a limited selection for a light lunch or a snack.
Free to enter, the Topography of Terror is a modern museum set atop the former Gestapo headquarters and documenting the horrors of Nazism. An essential part of Berlin, especially for history buffs, plan to spend two hours reading or via self guided tour beginning outdoors and continued within.
A must see in Berlin. This museum is free; however, it displays an important part of Berlin and Germany history. We came here during October, so the displays were indoor. This museum was free, had English on the boards and also offered free English audio guide. It was a great place to visit in Berlin.
Free museum with the history of Germany, the 3rd Reich and the nazi party. It's a lot to see, sometimes you need to stop for a few minutes because it's too much to read and too dense. Outside, there is a part of the real wall of 1961 in Berlin. Museo gratis de la historia de Alemania, el 3er Reich y el partido Nazi. Es un montón para ver, a veces tenes que parar unos minutos porque es mucho para leer y muy denso. Afuera, está la parte real del muro de Berlín de 1961.
Free admission. Located in the old SS headquarters. Sections of the original Berlin Wall is here and you learn the history of the building and the horrific things that occurred during this time frame. This is a sad but educational museum. The hanging displays outside will take a good 2 hours to read and digest. Make sure to find the start and work your way forward, I started at the wrong end. Then after you finish outside go inside the museum to learn more. If you don't like to read, audio tours are available. I learned a lot about Siemens and VW involvement during this era. Shocking! Bathrooms: downstairs and very clean Facility: very clean We came in the winter, it was very cold so dress appropriately. read more
1 year ago
What an incredible experience to see the Berlin wall. This place is free to enter on the outside and inside the museum. Best of all, they have free bathrooms in the basement of the museum. Here they have the original Berlin wall in its original location untouched. In a lot of other places the pieces of the Berlin wall have murals and graffiti on them. There's a lot of interesting stories and history to read about how people were affected by the Berlin wall. read more
This is a totally riveting and at the same time depression inducing museum in the heart of Berlin dedicated to documenting all the horrors of Nazi Germany from its early creation to its demise and past. Tons of pictures and facts about everything. You start at a huge wall outside full of pictures with facts. That is almost enough right there, but they have a chunk of the Berlin Wall remaining right above it (where it originally was), and they have a huge interior with an endless amount of photos and text to read. I believe they offer audio services, too, in order to listen to as you walk around. You will need a lot of time to do the whole museum and not feel rushed. It took us hours, and we were rushing because there was so much to take in. They offer a book with all the photos and a ton of text for sale for 24 Euros translated into many different languages. If you want the book, buy it there. Even Amazon sites in Europe want at least 34 Euros and in America Amazon wanted $180 USD. Good to give teens a wake up call to the horror that was the Holocaust. If you are in Berlin, going is a must! read more
Date of visit: May 31, 2024 I think it's great that many of the historical and educational sights in Berlin are free, including the Topography of Terrors. The low barrier to entry is important to ensuring that as many people as possible learn about these atrocities and are better informed to prevent them from happening again. There are sections both indoors and out, and pretty much everything is in multiple languages as well, great for those like me with a limited German vocabulary. My only complaint really is that much of the text is quite small, requiring you to get close to read it, but in doing so, blocking the view of others that are also trying to learn and educate themselves. read more
1 year ago
The information here is vast and stunning. Quite the adventure walking in the ruins of something so sophisticated/complicated while in the middle of Berlin, just taking in the sites. You'll get to understand the general timeline of the war, combined with the after affect of having the Soviets "rescue" you. With the insanely unreasonable follow up of the building of the Berlin Wall, which sits as a nice backdrop for the remaining basement wall of the Gestapo head quarters. Germany has seen a history of consequence in the last 100 years, and they've done their part to own the disgrace of their ancestors with these very in-depth, open, correctly worded/politically correct ("murdered Jews") sites. Come, learn, listen, and leave wiser for it. read more
There are actually two separate exhibits here: The Berlin Wall Monument, and Topography of Terror focusing on 1933-1945 and Hitler on his takeover of power. The actual wall was much taller than I expected. Thia 160 KM wall separated East and West Berlin for nearly 30 years. In addition to the wall, there are multiple educational posters with photos and descriptions. The Topography of Terror building is located on the same grounds where many of the significant institutions of Nazi terror, including the headquarters of the Secret Police ( Gestapo), The Reich Leadership Headquarters, and the Office of Security. The entire tour is very emotional to explore, but educational at the same time. I will attach photos. I will certainly never forget this experience. read more
This place is actually two separate exhibits under the same address and is very confusing to visitors. So let me help clear up the confusions for those of you who will be visiting here in the future. The outer exhibits are remnants of the Berlin Wall. This is also known as the "Berlin Wall Monument". The exhibits inside the building are the "Topography of Terror" which document the days of Hitler from 1933 to 1945. I'll focus my review on the Berlin Wall Monument which is the part that interested me most. We should all be thankful to the German government for not demolishing the entire Berlin Wall and erasing all the traces and memories of the past. Remnants of the Berlin Wall still stand in several places in Berlin so that history is firmly engraved in the landscape of the city. (The two other major places are the Berlin Wall Memorial and East Side Gallery). One section of the wall shows both the outer wall and the inner wall, so visitors can learn and understand that the Berlin Wall was actually comprised of two walls, with the area in between called "no man's land", patrolled by armed guards and dogs. Walking along the remnants of the wall was definitely one of the most somber and humbling experiences of my life, knowing that many families have been separated and devastated; numerous lives have been lost. Being able to see the actual remains of the wall and being able to physically touch it and feel it motivated me to learn more about the history of the wall, and of the Cold War and crisis surrounding it. Berlin. A divided city. 1961 - 1989. read more
I happened to see a billboard ad in the U-Bahn Potsdamer Platz station regarding Topographie des Terrors. It looked intriguing, close by and free, so I made a bee-line to check it out. The fairly new Topography of Terror is pointedly overwhelming with massive content on the Nazi-era SS and Gestapo, and is built on top of the old HQ ruins. There is so much information in the indoor exhibits that your eyes start to glaze over. Everything is in German and English. After reading the initial displays, and dealing with the large crowds, I started to skip some items and just focus on what I found most interesting, such as Section 3.5 on the Persecution of Homosexuals, and the rear sections on elimination of the Jews in each of the overrun countries. Outside the building is a section of the Berlin Wall that was permanently moved there. A special outdoor Warsaw Rising exhibition was historically fascinating and well worth a visit, especially for Americans who probably didn't even learn about it in high school history. I certainly didn't know about this part of WWII where Hitler and Himmler ordered the entire city leveled. I spent longer at the outdoor exhibit than the indoor one. read more
7 years ago
This is an amazing place and the fact that it is free means everyone should go there. If you start outside, there is a remnant of the Berlin Wall at street level but if you walk down the stairs or the ramp to the outside displays, there is a timeline of how the Weimar Republic folded and gave rise to the Third Reich. The narratives and photos are gripping and only begin to prepare you for what is inside the museum building. The inside channels the further rise of the Third Reich and also profiles how their programs played out not only in Germany but in other countries across Europe. If you have the stamina to be able to read and absorb all of this, I'd say allow a minimum of three hours. After about 90 minutes there, I'll be honest when I say I was a bit overwhelmed so I couldn't focus as much on what I was reading. If possible, it might be better to come back over two days because there is a lot of information and some of it is hard to digest. I found the section on the post-war period particularly fascinating especially as it relates to what happened to various leaders of the movement after the collapse of Nazi Germany. There are parts of the narrative that read like a playbook for populist leaders in the world today....consolidate power, scapegoat others and vilify them so that abuses seem deserved, shut down free speech and severely penalize those that disagree with you. It was somewhat ironic that the president of Turkey was in town while I was visiting this museum. Maybe he should have visited this place. A very important place that should not be missed. read more
Reluctantly (because it seemed a depressing thing to do on Christmas), I went here on Christmas Day because it was one of the few things open. In spite of my misgivings, this was worth seeing. The outside has a large section of the Berlin Wall and the old foundation walls of the building that was used as the SS torture chambers. Inside the building are displays with a comprehensive history of the Nazis and their acts. Each topic had three levels of detail so that you could decide how much you wanted to read. You could spend an hour or three hours. There were lockers for coats and bags. They were free but required a euro coin to operate. When you return the key, you get the euro back. There is a cafe with a limited selection for a light lunch or a snack. read more
4 years ago
Free to enter, the Topography of Terror is a modern museum set atop the former Gestapo headquarters and documenting the horrors of Nazism. An essential part of Berlin, especially for history buffs, plan to spend two hours reading or via self guided tour beginning outdoors and continued within. read more
A must see in Berlin. This museum is free; however, it displays an important part of Berlin and Germany history. We came here during October, so the displays were indoor. This museum was free, had English on the boards and also offered free English audio guide. It was a great place to visit in Berlin. read more
Free museum with the history of Germany, the 3rd Reich and the nazi party. It's a lot to see, sometimes you need to stop for a few minutes because it's too much to read and too dense. Outside, there is a part of the real wall of 1961 in Berlin. Museo gratis de la historia de Alemania, el 3er Reich y el partido Nazi. Es un montón para ver, a veces tenes que parar unos minutos porque es mucho para leer y muy denso. Afuera, está la parte real del muro de Berlín de 1961. read more
3 years ago
9 years ago
4 years ago
If you plan on visiting Berlin, I would highly recommend to visit this museum for historic purpose. read more
As we were nearing Checkpoint Charlie, we came across the outdoor portion of this museum and memorial and found it very moving. What I appreciated, especially traveling with children, was that it was free and you could go at your own pace. Located at the site of the former Gestapo headquarters, it has a mix of permanent and temporary exhibits. While we were there, the focus was on the occupation of Poland and the Polish resistance. As one less than enthusiastic reviewer noted, it is higher level information printed in German and English with a mix of documents and photographs, so it is a bit dry. Since I have a child that is fascinated with history, but gets overwhelmed when we've visited holocaust museums and seen more graphic exhibits, this balance was just right. In the background along an elevated platform there is a long segment of the Berlin Wall. For us, it was a place of contemplation and a good respite from the hustle and bustle of modern Berlin. We must never forget. read more
Must visit in Berlin. It wasn't that too long ago and when you stand there you will feel it. Be prepared to spend at least two hours. A piece of history we all need to remember, so we don't repeat. I don't know how I would describe my visit in words. I felt the pain in history. read more
I would like to return to Topography of Terror Museum, which in essence is a documentation centre, as my visit was fleeting. We popped in because we were nearby and wanted to see the museum, but it was so busy it was very difficult to look at displays properly or read much of the documentation. What I did manage to see was harrowing, horrifying and absolutely terrible. Unfortunately it is historical reality and thus should not be shied away from, as we must remember the past, even the terrible past, to ensure similar is never repeated in future. This is the importance inherent in Topography of Terror. Entrance was free. There was a basement area holding books, much like a library. An on-site cafe plus main information and exhibition area at ground level. The format of the exhibition consisted of panels displaying photographs and texts which tell the story of the SS during Third Reich and the crimes they committed across Europe. Attention is drawn to numerous groups of people targeted and subjected to terrors by the Nazi regime. Frightening, heart-wrenching and profoundly sad. Unfortunately, due to vast visitor numbers, it was virtually impossible to get near some displays. My movement around them involved looking at a few and skipping a few. Thus I lost the flow of the information. We decided to leave before ending the exhibition because we were weary after a day sightseeing. However, I would like to return at a quieter time, to absorb and read the exhibition information fully. Very worthwhile, but you do need to be in the right frame of mind... read more
14 years ago
Its hard to not leave this place hating what Germany was in the Nazi era and at the same time proud to be an American whose family helped end the atrocities. Yeah, that's a fairly shallow reaction. But this is Yelp. In all seriousness, this museum is a must visit. Very educational. Will generate stong emotions. Especially anything regarding what children went through in the Nazi era. read more
Was walking by and happened upon this very large preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall, so we stopped to check it out. So glad we did - we spent at least 30 minutes reading the history of how the Nazis came to power. It was fascinating, and also terrifying knowing that history could repeat itself some day. While we wished we'd had more time to see more, we had to move on, but we would definitely come back here again. read more
8 years ago
An incredible amount of information and documentation of Germany's war history located at the previous SS headquarters. Plenty of information both inside and outside of the facility, so great for any weather conditions. read more
I was very disappointed by this museum as I feel like it did a very poor job educating people about the atrocities committed. It gave some solid information but did not really shed light on the "terror". For example, there were captioned photos that discussed general background information about the area and some Nazi figures. While it didn't discuss the acts committed in much details at all. They didn't talk much or at all about specific events such as; the genocide, stealing and destruction of property, families destroyed, lies told, property stolen, innocence lost, orphans created, people without homes, experimentation on people, book burnings, and other atrocities. I could go into more details but it will just upset me. It felt like this is what a Civil War museum would be like in the South. I personally think it didn't do justice in terms of educating people about the true terrors that were birthed in this place. I left feeling like the title of the museum was misguiding and some sections were borderline inappropriate in my opinion. They could have done a much better and honest job addressing the terrors rather than giving a fluff history. The other attractions in the area were more honest with information and content. read more
10 years ago
A visit to Topographie des Terrors should be on everyone's agenda when in Berlin imho. Located between Checkpoint Charlie & Potsdamer Platz. Build on a historical site (former SS head quarters) with a piece of original Berlin Wall. The exhibition's free and reminds us that freedom is something to cherish and what people can do to eachother. Sometimes shocking but mostly informative and educational. Cause humans still haven't learnt from the horrific past (neo-nazism, ultra right mocements, hate against refugees etc etc). This exposition left a huge impression on me and I would recommend any visitor to the city of Berlin to go to Topographie des Terrors! read more
13 years ago
Very informative and interesting to look at an explanation of the Berlin Wall! There are a lot of people here though, so come earlier or later to avoid the crowd and actually have space to red the signs. If memory serves, the wall is the piece of the real actual wall, but the brick displays behind it are new and reconstructed. Worth checking it out to gain an understanding of the wall and why it's significant to Berlin! read more
10 years ago
A very well done museum that deals with two very dark and difficult topics in a very straight forward and educational way that really begs the world to never let this happen again. It's free and there's a very nice audio-guide that you can also pick up free of charge. read more
14 years ago
Free museum that brings the horrid reality to the forefront in that they don't try to hide anything. I spent most of the time outside because I didn't know there was an inside, and it seems to cover the same information but different aspects of it. 2nd largest part of the Berlin Wall is behind the outside part. I went right after the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and it made me feel better for the amount I spent to get in there....since this is less crowded and probably has more information. read more
Fascinating free outdoor & indoor exhibit of the Berlin wall with historical descriptions, audio, images, and photography. As well done as possible in light of the the difficult subject matter. Definitely worth the hour (60 minutes) time to tour and read the insightful information and listen to memoirs. read more
9 years ago
For being free this place is amazing. I would have paid and still given this place 5 stars. The building is on an old Reich site. So outside you will find part of the Berlin Wall and rubble from when the old building was removed. There is also a timeline that discusses the Reich leading up to 1933. Inside the building is a very detailed account of the horrors the Reich did during WW2. If you read everything you could probably stay several hours and that doesn't include the audio guide. Personally I did skip a lot of information pieces but still felt very informed. The details are very in depth and interesting. For young children, some images may be graphic. There's also a cafe if you need food or drinks and a bathroom downstairs. This place isn't too far from the main streets so I recommend making the walk over at least for an hour of your time. read more
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Niederkircherstr. 8
10963 Berlin
Germany
Kreuzberg
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030 254509-0
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