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Berlin

167 images Created 11 Apr 2013

Reportage photography from Berlin in 2013, by Richard Baker.

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  • Actors in US and Soviet army uniforms hold flags to recount German history during the second world war and later, the cold war - beneath the Brandenburg Gate in Unter den Linden in central Berlin, Germany. The site is near the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Here also, Berlin was separated by the occupying sectors of US, British, French and Soviet forces after WW2. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany.
    brandenburg_gate_tourism02-05-04-201...jpg
  • An outdoor exhibition panel near the former Checkpoint Charlie, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    checkpoint_charlie_tourists06-05-04-...jpg
  • Wall map of Communist East Germany in the conference room where the heads of the GDR secret police met with district administrators, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum35-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Socialist decor near the conference room where the heads of the GDR secret police met with district administrators, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum36-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Decor in the conference room where the heads of the GDR secret police met with district administrators, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum43-07-04-2013.jpg
  • The private quarters of GDR secret police Minister Erich Mielke, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum44-07-04-2013.jpg
  • The office of Major General Hans Carlsohn, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Carlsohn was personal assistant to Mielke then director of the Minister's secretariat. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum45-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Anti-police graffiti and abandoned panelled door on the wall of an apartment block in Wedding, a north-western district of Berlin.
    berlin_street01-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Secretariat offices for the staff to Erich Mielke, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum19-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Secretariat offices for the staff to Erich Mielke, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum20-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Lenin bust in preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum22-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Meeting furniture in the preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum24-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Desk in the preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum26-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Desk in the preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum27-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Desk in the preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum28-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Desk in the preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum29-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Socialist light switches in the preserved office of former Minister in charge of GDR secret police chief, Erich Mielke - an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. After the fall of the socialist state, Mielke was sentenced to 6 years in prison and died in 2000, aged 92. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum30-07-04-2013.jpg
  • The cafeteria and informal meeting place for secret police generals, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum31-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Decor in the conference room where the heads of the GDR secret police met with district administrators, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum32-07-04-2013.jpg
  • The conference room where the heads of the GDR secret police met with district administrators, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum33-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Five boy mannequis display ceremonial costumes for special occasions in the window of a clothing supplier in a southern suburb of Berlin, Germany.
    berlin_mannequins01-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Bric-a-brac and old possessions being sold at a giant market in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_mauerpark_market01-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Bric-a-brac and old possessions being sold at a giant market in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_mauerpark_market02-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Euros changing hands for bric-a-brac and old possessions, sold at a giant market in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_mauerpark_market03-07-04-2013.jpg
  • 1950s-era chairs and assorted furniture, bric-a-brac and old possessions being sold at a giant market in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_mauerpark_market04-07-04-2013.jpg
  • 1950s-era chairs and assorted furniture, bric-a-brac and old possessions being sold at a giant market in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_mauerpark_market05-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Glassware, crockery, bric-a-brac and old possessions being sold at a giant market in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_mauerpark_market08-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Anti-police message outside of 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum02-07-04-2013.jpg
  • ID papers for an anonymous secret agent from Cottbus, Germany, an exhibit in the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. The Stasi Museum is a 22-hectare complex of research  and memorial centre concerning the political system of the former East Germany. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum08-07-04-2013.jpg
  • ID papers for an anonymous secret agent from Cottbus, Germany, an exhibit in the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. The Stasi Museum is a 22-hectare complex of research  and memorial centre concerning the political system of the former East Germany. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum09-07-04-2013.jpg
  • A soldier in uniform, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum10-07-04-2013.jpg
  • A soldier image on a rug, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum11-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Secretariat offices for the staff to Erich Mielke, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum13-07-04-2013.jpg
  • An open, empty safe, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum15-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Secretariat offices for the staff to Erich Mielke, an exhibit in 'Haus 1' the ministerial headquarters of the Stasi secret police in Communist East Germany, the GDR. Built in 1960, the complex now known as the Stasi Museum. Before the fall of the Wall, it was a 22-hectare complex of espionage whose centrepiece is the office and working quarters of the former Minister of State Security, Mielke who considered their role as the 'shield and sword of the party', conducting one of the world's most efficient spying operations against its political dissenters during its 40-year old socialist history. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. Here at the Stasi HQ alone 15,000 were employed plus the many regional stations. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    berlin_stasi_museum17-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Exterior of the German Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt) on Paul-Loeb-Allee, Berlin Mitte, a federal agency serving the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German federal government. The current Chancellery building (opened in the spring of 2001) was designed by Charlotte Frank and Axel Schultes and was built by a joint venture of Royal BAM Group's subsidiary Wayss & Freytag and the Spanish Acciona from concrete and glass in an essentially postmodern style, though some elements of modernist style are evident. Occupying 12,000 square meters (129,166 square feet), it is also one of the largest government headquarters buildings in the world. By comparison, the new Chancellery building is eight times the size of the White House.
    berlin_bundestag01-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Exterior of the German Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt) on Paul-Loeb-Allee, Berlin Mitte, a federal agency serving the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German federal government. The current Chancellery building (opened in the spring of 2001) was designed by Charlotte Frank and Axel Schultes and was built by a joint venture of Royal BAM Group's subsidiary Wayss & Freytag and the Spanish Acciona from concrete and glass in an essentially postmodern style, though some elements of modernist style are evident. Occupying 12,000 square meters (129,166 square feet), it is also one of the largest government headquarters buildings in the world. By comparison, the new Chancellery building is eight times the size of the White House.
    berlin_bundestag02-08-04-2013.jpg
  • The entrance to the U-Bahn station for one of the German government Bundestag buildings known as the Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag03-08-04-2013.jpg
  • The entrance to the U-Bahn station for one of the German government Bundestag buildings known as the Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag07-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Architecture and design of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag06-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Architecture and design of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag10-08-04-2013.jpg
  • The entrance to the U-Bahn station for one of the German government Bundestag buildings known as the Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag09-08-04-2013.jpg
  • The entrance to the U-Bahn station for one of the German government Bundestag buildings known as the Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag11-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Architecture and design of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag13-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Architecture and design of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag16-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Architecture and design of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag17-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Bikes and pedestrians plus architecture and design of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag18-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Sprayed or painted mural showing a country cabin landscape, on the side of an industrial building in Mauerpark - an open space on the site of the old Berlin wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
    berlin_landscape02-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Joggers pass the restaurant of Paul-Loeb-Haus in Berlin Mitte, one of the government buildings of the German Bundestag. Named after the last democratic President of the Reichstag, Paul Löbe House was occupied in July 2001. It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. A pedestrian subway connects Paul Löbe House with the Reichstag building. The eastern end of the ribbon of federal buildings extends across the River Spree in the form of a parliamentary office block divided into two parts.
    berlin_bundestag20-08-04-2013.jpg
  • A former traffic control kiosk from the cold war era and the modern German city, at the junction of Augsburgerstrasse and Kurfurstendamm in Berlin Mitte.
    berlin_landscape03-08-04-2013.jpg
  • An exhibition panel in the Holocaust museum and memorial, showing only some of the 500 Nazi concentration and labour camps, ghettos and the sites of mass shootings across Europe and Africa during the second world war.
    holocaust_camps01-05-04-2013.jpg
  • The field of stelae of the outdoor Holocaust Memorial, a reminder of Jewish persecution and anti-Semitism in Europe during the second world war. U.S. architect Peter Eisenman's controversial design was chosen as a fitting tribute to the Jews that died before and during World War II as part of Hitler's plan to exterminate them. Eisenman's design is quite unique and has drawn both praise and criticism. Occupying about 205,000 square feet (19,000 square meters) of space near the Brandenburg Gate and just a short distance from where the ruins of Hitler's bunker is buried, the Berlin Holocaust Memorial is made up of 2,711 gray stone slabs that bear no markings, such as names or dates.
    holocaust_memorial01-05-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors standing beneath panels with the faces of Jewish victims of the Holocaust, read the stories and history of Nazi anti-Semitism, in central Berlin, Germany.
    holocaust_museum01-05-04-2013.jpg
  • A graffiti-covered doorway in the German city of Berlin district of Kreuzberg.
    kreuzberg_landscape01-04-04-2013.jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999 and eight hundred tons of steel and 3,000 square meters of glass went into building this structure, which is 23.5 meters high, while 360 mirrors provide daylight to the newly designed plenary chamber. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_cupola01-04-04-2013.jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999 and eight hundred tons of steel and 3,000 square meters of glass went into building this structure, which is 23.5 meters high, while 360 mirrors provide daylight to the newly designed plenary chamber. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_cupola03-04-04-2013.jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999 and eight hundred tons of steel and 3,000 square meters of glass went into building this structure, which is 23.5 meters high, while 360 mirrors provide daylight to the newly designed plenary chamber. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_cupola04-04-04-2013.jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_plenary_chamber01-04-04-20...jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_plenary_chamber06-04-04-20...jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_plenary_chamber08-04-04-20...jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_plenary_chamber11-04-04-20...jpg
  • The Plenary Chamber in the centre of the old Reichstag building in central Berlin, Germany. The Bundestag is a legislative body in Germany. The new Reichstag building was officially opened on 19 April 1999. At least 598 Members of the Bundestag are elected and meet here.
    reichstag_plenary_chamber12-04-04-20...jpg
  • The graffiti left on walls inside the Reichstag building by Soviet soldiers after their battles in the German capital at the end of the second world war. The building, having never been fully repaired since the fire, was damaged by air raids. During the Battle of Berlin in 1945, it became one of the central targets for the Red Army to capture due to its perceived symbolic significance. Today, visitors to the building can still see Soviet graffiti on smoky walls inside as well as on part of the roof, which was preserved during the reconstructions after reunification.
    reichstag_soviet_graffiti01-04-04-20...jpg
  • Young Germans enjoy spring sunshine on deckchairs and beach-style seating, in Alexanderplatz, Berlin Mitte.
    berlin_alexanderplatz01-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Wide landscape and architecture of the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) in Berlin Mitte. The structure is a former city gate, rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neoclassical triumphal arch, and now one of the most well-known landmarks of Germany. It is located west of the city centre of Berlin at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. When the Nazis ascended to power they used the Gate as a party symbol. The Gate only just survived World War II and was one of the damaged structures still standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945 alongside the nearby Reichstag.
    berlin_brandenburg_gate01-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Wide landscape and architecture of the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) in Berlin Mitte. The structure is a former city gate, rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neoclassical triumphal arch, and now one of the most well-known landmarks of Germany. It is located west of the city centre of Berlin at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. When the Nazis ascended to power they used the Gate as a party symbol. The Gate only just survived World War II and was one of the damaged structures still standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945 alongside the nearby Reichstag.
    berlin_brandenburg_gate02-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Wide landscape and architecture of the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) in Berlin Mitte. The structure is a former city gate, rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neoclassical triumphal arch, and now one of the most well-known landmarks of Germany. It is located west of the city centre of Berlin at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. When the Nazis ascended to power they used the Gate as a party symbol. The Gate only just survived World War II and was one of the damaged structures still standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945 alongside the nearby Reichstag.
    berlin_brandenburg_gate04-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the official coat of arms of the British monarch, on the exterior wall of the British Embassy, the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to Germany in Berlin. It is located on 70-71 Wilhelmstraße, near the Hotel Adlon. Upon reunification in 1991, an architectural competition was won by Michael Wilford and the new building opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 July 2000..
    berlin_british_embassy03-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the official coat of arms of the British monarch, on the exterior wall of the British Embassy, the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to Germany in Berlin. It is located on 70-71 Wilhelmstraße, near the Hotel Adlon. Upon reunification in 1991, an architectural competition was won by Michael Wilford and the new building opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 July 2000..
    berlin_british_embassy04-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the official coat of arms of the British monarch, on the exterior wall of the British Embassy, the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to Germany in Berlin. It is located on 70-71 Wilhelmstraße, near the Hotel Adlon. Upon reunification in 1991, an architectural competition was won by Michael Wilford and the new building opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 July 2000..
    berlin_british_embassy05-08-04-2013.jpg
  • A pedestrian pulling a suitcase walks past the exterior of the British Embassy, the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to Germany in Berlin. It is located on 70-71 Wilhelmstraße, near the Hotel Adlon. Upon reunification in 1991, an architectural competition was won by Michael Wilford and the new building opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 July 2000.
    berlin_british_embassy07-08-04-2013.jpg
  • A wide panorama of the exterior of the British Embassy, the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to Germany in Berlin. It is located on 70-71 Wilhelmstraße, near the Hotel Adlon. Upon reunification in 1991, an architectural competition was won by Michael Wilford and the new building opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 July 2000.
    berlin_british_embassy06-08-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors learning about the Berlin Wall read outdoor exhibition panels near the former Checkpoint Charlie, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    checkpoint_charlie_tourists01-05-04-...jpg
  • The portrait of a Soviet soldier sits high above modern Friedrishstrasse in modern Berlin at the location of  the former Checkpoint Charlie, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    checkpoint_charlie_soviet01-05-04-20...jpg
  • Visitors learning about the Berlin Wall read outdoor exhibition panels near the former Checkpoint Charlie, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    checkpoint_charlie_tourists02-05-04-...jpg
  • Under old sections of the Berlin wall, visitors read outdoor exhibition panels near the former Checkpoint Charlie, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    checkpoint_charlie_tourists03-05-04-...jpg
  • Young men re-enact the former border crossing between Communist East and West Germany during the Cold War at the site of the former Checkpoint Charlie, the border. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    checkpoint_charlie_tourists04-05-04-...jpg
  • Peeled paint and security at the entrance of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison04-05-0...jpg
  • The German national Die Zeit newspaper displays a picture of Adolf Hitler on their front page, a feature about Stern Magazine's controversial Hitler Diaries scandal, 30 years ago.
    hitler_headline01-04-04-2013.jpg
  • Peeled paint and security at the entrance of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison05-05-0...jpg
  • Detail of an air pressure pump mounted to a wall in the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison06-05-0...jpg
  • Peeled paint and security at the entrance of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison07-05-0...jpg
  • CCTV cameras and barred windows and architecture of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members.Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison08-05-0...jpg
  • Security barbed wire at the entrance of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison09-05-0...jpg
  • Entrance architecture of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison10-05-0...jpg
  • CCTV cameras barbed wire over the outer wall of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members. Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time' - administered from this complex of offices.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison12-05-0...jpg
  • A detail from the oversized artwork entitled Brotherhood Kiss (Bruderkuss) by Dmitry Vrubel that once adorned a section of the notorious Berlin Wall in western Germany Russian. The two men are kissing on the lips, one of the most iconic paintings that symbolised a divided Europe during the Cold War. The Communist Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev kisses his East German (DDR) counterpart Erich Honecker, which was ultimately copied on to coffee cups and T-shirts across the world before being destroyed by the authorities. The artist was angry but he says he will paint a new image which was derived from a photograph of the two leaders taken 1979 but became a potent symbol of Communism's corruption and ultimate failure.
    berlin_wall_gallery01-06-04-2013.jpg
  • The outer wall and watchtower on Genzlerstrasse of the notorious secret police (Stasi) Hohenschonhausen prison. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. Hohenschönhausen was a very important part of the Socialist GDR's (German Democratic Republic) system of political and artistic oppression. Although torture (including Chinese water torture) and physical violence were commonly employed at Hohenschönhausen (especially in the 1950s), psychological intimidation was the main method of political repression and techniques including sleep deprivation, total isolation, threats to friends and family members.Between 1950 and 1989, the Stasi employed a total of 274,000 people in an effort to root out the class enemy. The Hohenschonhausen prison's existence was largely unknown to locals - another blank on the map. During Hitler's Third Reich, the Gestapo had one agent for every 2,000 citizens whereas the Stasi had approximately an spy for every 6.5. German media called East Germany 'the most perfected surveillance state of all time'.
    hohenschonhausen_stasi_prison13-05-0...jpg
  • A detail from the oversized artwork entitled Brotherhood Kiss (Bruderkuss) by Dmitry Vrubel that once adorned a section of the notorious Berlin Wall in western Germany Russian. The two men are kissing on the lips, one of the most iconic paintings that symbolised a divided Europe during the Cold War. The Communist Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev kisses his East German (DDR) counterpart Erich Honecker, which was ultimately copied on to coffee cups and T-shirts across the world before being destroyed by the authorities. The artist was angry but he says he will paint a new image which was derived from a photograph of the two leaders taken 1979 but became a potent symbol of Communism's corruption and ultimate failure.
    berlin_wall_gallery03-06-04-2013.jpg
  • A detail from the oversized artwork entitled Brotherhood Kiss (Bruderkuss) by Dmitry Vrubel that once adorned a section of the notorious Berlin Wall in western Germany Russian. The two men are kissing on the lips, one of the most iconic paintings that symbolised a divided Europe during the Cold War. The Communist Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev kisses his East German (DDR) counterpart Erich Honecker, which was ultimately copied on to coffee cups and T-shirts across the world before being destroyed by the authorities. The artist was angry but he says he will paint a new image which was derived from a photograph of the two leaders taken 1979 but became a potent symbol of Communism's corruption and ultimate failure.
    berlin_wall_gallery05-06-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors enjoy the art on the old Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_gallery04-06-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors enjoy the art on the old Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_gallery10-06-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors enjoy the art on the old Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_gallery08-06-04-2013.jpg
  • The faces and names of those killed while trying to cross  Berlin Wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_victims01-07-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors enjoy the art on the old Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_gallery11-06-04-2013.jpg
  • Visitors enjoy the art and an old Trabant car at the old Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Trabants were the common Socialist vehicle in East Germany, exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_gallery12-06-04-2013.jpg
  • The blackened and ricochet-scarred stonework of an old building dating from before the second world war, marked during the battle for the city during the fall of the Third Reich, the end of Nazi fascism in the spring of 1945.
    berlin_war_damage01-05-04-2013.jpg
  • The faces and names of those killed while trying to cross  Berlin Wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_victims02-07-04-2013.jpg
  • The faces and names of those killed while trying to cross  Berlin Wall, the former border between Communist East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
    berlin_wall_victims03-07-04-2013.jpg
  • The blackened and ricochet-scarred stonework of an old building dating from before the second world war, marked during the battle for the city during the fall of the Third Reich, the end of Nazi fascism in the spring of 1945.
    berlin_war_damage02-05-04-2013.jpg
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Richard Baker Photography

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