The East German "Ministerium für Staatssicherheit" ("Ministry of State Security", "Stasi" or "MfS") had its headquarters on Normannenstraße in Lichtenberg. The complex – where roughly 8,000 people worked at the time of its demise in 1989 – was hermetically sealed. The centre of the complex is "Haus 1" in which the Minister of State Security Erich Mielke had his offices.

The building was reopened in 2012 after comprehensive renovations. The spaces from which Mielke conducted his large-scale apparatus of spying and oppression are in their original state. On two floors, exhibitions organised by the Verein Antistalinistische Aktion (Association of Anti-Stalin Action or ASTAK) and the Stasi Documents Authority, show how the secret police worked and what it meant for their victims.

Cameras and microphones hidden in everyday items show how the MfS conducted its spying activities. Visitors can also see objects such as busts and medals that MfS employees handed out on occasions as part of their "Traditionsarbeit" ("Traditional Work").

The exhibition documents the storming and occupation of the building by civil rights activists on 15 January 1990 and the subsequent establishment of a research and memorial site. We offer guided tours of the exhibition and contemporary witness talks.