Opening of the “Topography of Terror” Documentation and Visitor Center in Berlin on 6th May 2010
Central elements of the Third Reich terror regime were located on the site around the former Prinz-Albrecht-Palais: the SS, Gestapo and the Reich Security Head Office shared headquarters here until 1945. The opening ceremony for the Documentation Center on 6th May 2010 opened not only a place of remembrance but also a place of learning.
Central elements of the Third Reich terror regime were located on the site around the former Prinz-Albrecht-Palais: the SS, Gestapo and the Reich Security Head Office shared headquarters here until 1945. The opening ceremony for the Documentation Center on 6th May 2010 opened not only a place of remembrance but also a place of learning.
The architecture of Ursula Wilms (Heinle, Wischer und Partner) and Prof. Heinz Hallmann (landscape architect) refers to this historic location in a restrained and appropriate manner. The necessary transparency of the building from the outside was achieved by the louver-like façade and by large glass elements; the load-bearing structure was planned to be very unobtrusive, with only a few vertical supports and stiffening elements combined with wide floor spans. Using a structural grid of 18 m x 18 m and only four corner columns in each case, a girder grill slab fulfilling the highest requirements for architectural concrete was planned by KREBS+KIEFER and then realized with the utmost care by the construction company. KREBS+KIEFER also planned the load-bearing structures of the outdoor facilities, which supplement the exhibitions in the Documentation Center and in some cases are themselves historic exhibits.
The director of the foundation, Professor Andreas Nachama, explained the concept of the building: „We wanted the visitors to be able to see the first element of the exhibition - the site itself - from every point.“
Following the opening ceremony which took place in the presence of German President Horst Köhler, the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit and the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Charlotte Knobloch, the foundation staff now have a permanent location for their own scientific work and for exhibitions, events and seminars.
With over 500.000 visitors each year, the „Topography of Terror“ is one of the most frequently visited remembrance sites in Berlin.
