Current language: English

Tour: The Headquarters for the Construction of the Berlin Wall, the Presidium of the People's Police, and the Berlin-Mitte Pretrial Detention Center

In der Sonderführung des Lernorts Keibelstraße werden die Geschichte des Präsidiums der Volkspolizei und des Untersuchungsgefängnisses in der Keibelstraße mit einem Fokus auf den Mauerbau und Flucht thematisiert.

Not far from Alexanderplatz, a task force consisting of several members organized the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. On the second floor of the People’s Police headquarters on Keibelstraße, staff at the Wall Construction Headquarters—led by Erich Honecker, then Secretary for Security Affairs on the Central Committee of the SED—planned security and propaganda measures. They oversaw the sealing off of the border with West Berlin and the construction of border fortifications by combat groups, the National People’s Army, the State Security Service, and the People’s Police.

A remand prison was also located in a separate wing within the police headquarters, where men and women were detained between 1951 and 1990 on various charges: for offenses classified as criminal, such as theft, or for political offenses such as alleged “anti-social behavior” or “incitement against the state.” Due to its proximity to the border, the East Berlin remand prison was also often the first place of detention for individuals accused of so-called “illegal border crossing.”

The special tour of the Keibelstraße Learning Center, organized by the Agency for Education, History, and Politics e.V., explores the history of the People’s Police Headquarters and the remand prison on Keibelstraße, with a focus on the construction of the Berlin Wall and escape attempts.

A maximum of 25 people can participate in the approximately two-hour tour (45-minute guided tour plus time to explore the site on your own). The tour is free of charge.Translated with DeepL

Booking: Please send us an informal registration with the following information: the first and last names of all participants by August 13, 2026, at the latest, to or call 030 - 28 09 80 11.

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