The Memorial is researching the history of the prison site and the history of political imprisonment and persecution in the Soviet occupation zone through various projects. The research results are presented at events and published in research articles and publications.
Spaces of Repression
Research Strands 2026-2030
Over the coming years, the Research and Collection Department will examine the historic prison, the former restricted military zone, and the surrounding district of Berlin-Hohenschönhausen from a range of spatial perspectives. This work will consider both the built environment in its architectural form and the social spaces shaped by structures of power and everyday experience.
The research project focused on young protesters involved in the uprising that took place around June 17, 1953, in the GDR. Through the biographies of young participants, the project examined the causes, course, and consequences of their involvement in the uprising. Based on the research findings, the project team developed modular educational materials for students that convey the complexity of the protest events.
The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial was involved in the "Landscapes of Persecution" research network funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through the sub-project "Landschaften der Verfolgung" (Landscapes of Political Persecution).
The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial Centre supervised the content and practical implementation of the project "Setting up an information board for the former GDR women's prison at Grünauer Straße". The project was initiated by the Group for Justice of SED Victims and financed by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe.
In the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ), the Soviet secret service ran a total of ten special camps and three internal prisons until the beginning of 1950. The Book of the Dead documents over 700 deceased inmates of Special Camp No. 3 Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, whose identities were established after many years of research using German and Soviet archives.