Gedenk- und Begegnungsstätte Torhaus Gera

Memorial and congress place
in the Torhaus

of the political detention centre
1933 - 1945 / 1945 - 1989

History

1945 - 1989

On April 14th, 1945 around 12:00pm 1,200 soldiers from Gera surrendered. The city was taken over by troops of the 80th division of the 3rd US army. After the replacement of the occupying forces in Saxony and Thuringia the Red Army of the Soviet Union marched into Gera on July 2nd, 1945. Even with the allied armies on the advance, the Anti-Hitler-Coalition concentrated on Germany's future. An extensive De-Nazification of the German population was one of the most important requirements for the security of the war vanquishers as well as the establishment of peaceful and democratic relationships in Germany. A mutual agreement regarding politics of allied occupying forces was the dismissal from public offices and the internment of national socialists. For the Soviet zone of occupation command No. 00315, released from the public commissioner for inner affairs of the USSR in April 1945, was of importance. Amongst other things these terms provided arrangements to arrest people who have been charges with anti-soviet activities as well as secret-service activities for the west allies.

The detention centre Amthordurchgang was taken over immediately by the Soviet military police and the Soviet intelligence (NKWD). And once again, people were imprisoned for political reasons. They were tortured, sentenced to long prison sentences and sent to special camps such as the former Buchenwald concentration camp and sentenced to death. By example of the Soviet Union a communist dictatorship should also be established in the Soviet zone of occupation. Amongst other things this included the elimination of private property. Thus after 1947, many people were imprisoned as so-called "economic criminals" in order to carry out dispossessions. After 1950 increasing prison sentences for "incitement to boycott" can be registered; this means any form of criticism of the regime, e.g. a simple joke.

Shortly after the foundation of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) on October 7th, 1949, the intelligence service of the GDR originated. It was named "MfS", which is short for the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (Ministry of State Security). Throughout the general public it was well known as Stasi. Gera became district capital and received a district administration of the "MfS". There were versatile reasons for an imprisonment by the Stasi. It was at the discretion of the regulating forces to decide which person will be under observation. Especially every kind of criticism on the politics of the SED regime where rigorously penalised by the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit.

In Gera people got arrested time and time again for planning an escape from East Germany, or trying an escape or for being classified as a confidant. Each individual critical behaviour and participation, for example, on the peace and environmental movement was prosecuted and often ended with an arrest. During the period from 1952 to 1989 the Stasi imprisoned approximately 2,800 people in this detention centre for political reasons.