Visitor Rules

Welcome to the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial.

You are in a place where people suffered and died. Today, it is a place of commemoration and remembrance. Please support us in our work to protect and preserve this site by following the rules of conduct.

We wish you an informative visit to the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial.

Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial Foundation

The Director

June 01, 2021

  • § 1 Opening hours and entrance fee

    (1) Notices and public announcements apply.

    (2) The Memorial reserves the right to make special arrangements on certain occasions.

  • § 2 Visiting the former prison

    (1) The former prison may only be visited as part of a guided tour.

    (2) Only holders of a valid admission ticket will be permitted to participate in a guided tour. This ticket must be presented upon request.

    (3) Please stay with your group and follow your tour guide. Any visitors walking around unaccompanied may be asked to leave the grounds.

    (4) Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

    (5) It is NOT recommended to bring children under the age of 12 to the Memorial as they may be upset by the information and images on display. Please ensure your children behave appropriately.

  • § 3 Conduct in the grounds of the Memorial

    (1) To maintain a quiet atmosphere, we request that you refrain from playing music, and that you mute your mobile phone.

    (2) Waste must be disposed of in the designated litter bins only. Litter bins with ashtrays are available for cigarette butts.

    (3) Larger rucksacks, bags, suitcases, umbrellas, etc. must be stored in the lockers. If you are not sure, please ask at the visitor center. For security reasons, security staff open all lockers in the evening.

    Any items found inside will be held at the Memorial or handed over to the responsible office.

    (4) Eating and drinking is only permitted in the cafeteria and in the courtyard in front of it. Eating is not permitted during the guided tour. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted.

  • § 4 Contact with historical objects

    (1) Touching the items on display or exhibits in the former prison or in the permanent exhibition is prohibited.

    (2) It is strictly forbidden to affix anything to, to scratch or mark any objects, walls, or floors.

    (3) It is not permitted to sit on furniture (prison beds, chairs, etc.), exhibition cabinets or desks, or to lean against walls or doors.

    (4) In the event of damage, the Memorial can assert claims for damages and press charges. Statutory provisions apply to liability for minors.

  • § 5 Film and photo recordings

    (1) Photographs for private use are permitted. Please be aware of the tour guide's personal rights and those of other visitors. If you are unsure, you must first obtain the consent of anyone in the image.

    (2) For commercial photographs, as well as for all film and audio recordings, approval must be requested from the Memorial press office.

  • § 6 Activities requiring approval

    (1) The following must be approved in advance by the Director of the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial Foundation:

    1. Distribution of any type of printed matter (e.g. advertising flyers).

    2. Affixing stickers, banners, posters, graffiti and such like.

    3. Interviewing visitors, tour guides or employees of the Memorial.

    4. Presentations and performances of any type or form.

    5. Rallies, events, demonstrations and such like                                                    .

    (2) Approval must be requested from the Memorial press office.

    (3) The laying of wreaths and other ways of commemorating the victims are organized exclusively by the Memorial site management.

  • § 7 Prohibited activities

    (1) Smoking is strictly prohibited in all buildings.

    (2) Misanthropic or extremist slogans, statements, inscriptions or symbols are not welcome. These also include symbols or emblems belonging to communist dictatorships. The Memorial reserves the right to ask any visitor to leave.

    (3) Sitting on the administration building steps is prohibited as these are escape routes. The visitor center can provide you with a portable seat if required.

    (4) Access to green spaces is forbidden.

    (5) Running, ball games, skateboarding and such like are prohibited in the grounds of the Memorial.

    (6) Animals may not be brought by visitors to the Memorial. The only exception to this is the use of assistance dogs for people with health impairments requiring such assistance.

    (7) Driving on the grounds with vehicles of any type (cars, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, etc.) is prohibited without prior consent. Bicycles must be parked outside the Memorial. Wheelchair users in need of assistance should contact the visitor center.

  • § 8 Right to exclude

    (1) Instructions given by Memorial staff must be followed.

    (2) Visitors who do not follow these visitor rules may be asked to leave. Memorial staff can ban them from entering.

    (3) If there is any suspicion of theft or vandalism, Memorial staff are entitled to check the suspect and ascertain their identity.

  • § 9 Exclusion of liability

    (1) The Foundation shall be liable, in accordance with statutory provisions, if contractual or non-contractual obligations are breached. Consistent with fault-based liability, the Foundation shall be liable for damages - irrespective of legal basis - in the event of intent or gross negligence. In the event of simple negligence, the Foundation shall be liable, subject to statutory limitations of liability (e.g. diligence usually employed in its own affairs; insignificant breach of duty) only for damages resulting from the breach of an essential contractual obligation (an obligation whose fulfillment allows the proper execution of the contract in the first place, and upon whose observance the customer regularly relies, and may rely); in this event, however, liability is limited to compensation for typically foreseeable damage.

  • § 10 Suggestions and complaints

    (1) We are always pleased to receive suggestions. Please contact the visitor center with your suggestions or complaints. These shall be forwarded to the responsible internal departments.