The Prohibited District

The central remand centre of the Ministry for State Security (MfS) in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen was located in a large restricted military area. Unauthorised persons were not allowed to enter it. The site was marked as an empty area on the city maps of East Berlin.  

In addition to the central remand prison, a number of other MfS facilities were located here:

• the Operative Technical Sector (OTS), which was responsible for the production of bugging equipment, hidden cameras and false passports, among other things;
• the Armament/Chemical Service Department (BCD), which maintained the weapons of MfS employees;
• parts of the Rear Services Administration (VRD), which looked after the MfS construction projects, motor vehicles and guest houses;
• a canteen and a building of the Main Administration A (HVA), from where electronic espionage was conducted in the West;
• until 1984, Department XII with the central archive and the MfS information files.

The book in English translation guides you through this area.