A long fragment of the Berlin Wall at the Topography of Terror exhibit. In the background, the former Reich Air Ministry.
I spent nearly three hours at the “Topography of Terror,” located a few blocks to the west of the famous Checkpoint Charlie at the foundation of what used to be Gestapo Headquarters in the heart of Berlin. This landscape is hallowed ground. Many were tortured or murdered here, all in the name of State Security. Across the street, the massive complex of Goering’s Air Ministry stands. A war survivor, the complex is now used to house the German Finance Ministry. At the Topography of Terror, photographs and text in both German and English attempt to explain how the Nazis could have taken control of a country of smart people, and highlights the efforts of those who fought and died in the internal struggle against these monsters. The exhibit is open daily, free admission.