What did it smell like in a GDR prison that housed political prisoners? What does an old cell door feel like? And what does a soundproofed detention cell sound like?
Answers to these questions can be found in our tactile tour. It is aimed at people with visual impairments and blind people who would like to learn more about the history of the Stasi detention centre.

We developed this tour together with members of the “Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverbands Thüringen e.V.” (Thuringian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired) and the “Diesterwegschule Weimar – Staatliches überregionales Förderzentrum, Förderschwerpunkt Sehen” (Diesterweg School Weimar – State Regional Support Centre, Focus on Vision). In addition to the tactile items, detailed object descriptions and audio recordings of eyewitness statements are also used during the tour.

Duration
90 minutes
Free of charge

Please note: Admission is already included in the package for guided tours. Guided tours are available for groups of maximum 10 people. Depending on the format, we can organize larger groups by offering staggered start times. Please request the desired programming in advance via our registration form.

To register

Interested in a guided tour ›tactile Andreasstrasse‹ ?

Please contact:
Laura Fiedler
service@stiftung-ettersberg.de
T +49 (0)361 219212 – 10
M +49 (0)176 52691979

The touch station is located in the entrance area of the Memorial. The model gives all visitors an impression of the building.
ein älterer Mann und eine junge Frau stehen nebeneinander, beide Lächeln in die Kamera

“Many places, including memorials, museums and exhibitions, remain hidden for blind or visually impaired people like me. Although there are special audio guides for us, most are impersonal, often far too fast and more of an agony than a joy. The Andreasstrasse is different: there is a personal guide who takes their time and you can ask all sorts of questions. I myself have already participated in the tactile tour on eight different occasions. During the GDR, I lived near Andreasstrasse. It was an eerie and oppressive place, that for me only slowly, but perhaps never, will lose its terror.”

Bernd Gräser is a member of the Thuringian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The association advised the Andreasstrasse Memorial and Educational centre in Erfurt on the development of its tactile tour for the blind and visually impaired. During the Peaceful Revolution in 1989, then 31-year-old Bernd Gräser was part of the occupation of the Stasi headquarters in Andreasstrasse in Erfurt. For two nights, he guarded Stasi files to save them from destruction.