Stasi Museum Berlin (Stasimuseum): visiting the former headquarters of the East German secret police

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Stasimuseum, Ruschestraße 103 (10365 Berlin, Lichtenberg district), occupies "House 1" (Haus 1) of the former headquarters of the GDR's Ministry for State Security, the Stasi. Built in 1960-1961, the building housed the offices of Erich Mielke, minister from 1957 until the fall of the Wall in 1989, preserved almost in their original state. Across three floors, the permanent exhibition "State Security in the SED Dictatorship" explains how the Stasi was organised and how it watched the population. Open every day; admission €12. Up to 7,000 officers worked in this vast office complex. On 15 January 1990, demonstrators occupied the headquarters to stop the destruction of the files; by November 1990, citizens had set up a first public exhibition here. The museum is now one of the sites of the "Stasi-Zentrale. Campus für Demokratie", which brings together the Stasi archives and several free exhibitions on the same grounds.

Highlights

The minister's floor

The second floor keeps Erich Mielke's offices as he left them: wood panelling, a long conference table, armchairs, telephones, as well as his secretaries' offices and a small kitchen. The sober, functional 1960s furniture reflects the minister's taste. You can also see the imitation-leather briefcase in which he kept sensitive documents.

Surveillance methods

The third floor shows how the Stasi kept watch on the population: hidden microphones, cameras concealed in everyday objects, photographic equipment, personal surveillance records. It also tells the story of the ministry's dissolution in 1989-1990 and the attempts to destroy the files.

The Stasi headquarters

House 1 is just one of the many office buildings of the former headquarters, between Ruschestraße and Normannenstraße. The museum's first floor traces the birth of the Stasi after the founding of the GDR, its growth and the recruitment of its officers. The courtyard hosts the open-air exhibition "Revolution und Mauerfall" (Revolution and the Fall of the Wall), accessible day and night.

The Stasi archives next door

In House 7, the exhibition "Einblick ins Geheime" (A Glimpse into the Secret), run by the Federal Archives, presents the Stasi archives with original files and interactive stations. Admission is free, Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and at weekends from 11am to 6pm. The visitor centre in House 22 lends free audio guides for the campus.

Guided tours and audio guide

A one-hour public tour runs Monday to Saturday, at 1pm in German and 3pm in English, limited to 25 people, for €5 on top of the admission ticket. An audio guide is available in seven languages, including French, for €2. The exhibition texts are in German and English.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Full-price ticket €12, reduced €9 (students, apprentices, jobseekers, people with disabilities, pensioners), €6 for children aged 13 and over; tickets are sold online on the official website. If you do not read German or English, take the audio guide. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible through the staff entrance to the left of the main entrance (lift, accessible toilets). Prices checked in October 2026.

How to get there

Ruschestraße 103, House 1, 10365 Berlin (Lichtenberg). U-Bahn U5 to Magdalenenstraße, about 300 m away; or S-Bahn (Ring) to Frankfurter Allee, then about a 10-minute walk. Allow about 15 minutes from Alexanderplatz.