If you had to choose one, which would you do? Both look compelling. The idea of having a guided tour by a former inmate at Hohenschoenhausen (i.e., primary source history), is an unbelievable chance to gain amazing insights, despite how disturbing it would be. In a perfect world, I'd do both tours, but if you had to choose only one, which one, and why?
Posted by
OP
22 posts
Thanks, and agree, that was a great movie.
Posted by
Berlin
2180 posts
If you are interested in the personal emotional experience of state violence do Hohenschönhausen. Stasi HQ concentrates more on Stasi as organisation (and their tools) which was state in state - they were really out of every control. Own law and principles, own judges and 10,000 men under weapons to execute their law.
The streets of the movie were Wedekindstrasse and Grünberger Strasse - just around my corner. Only a few of the houses look that old currently. Final scene with book shop was on Karl-Marx-Allee (ex Stalinallee). Re-opening Cafè Sybille is still a reminder to that times and worth a visit. Friedrichshain was called Stasi city in earlier times. Even after the wall was falling over 60% here voted for PDS which was the follower party of former GDR state party SED. Today a very different sub-district.