Razor wire glints atop imposing walls. This is the Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit. It stands as one of Berlin’s most central inner-city prisons.
Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit began as the K nigliche Untersuchungsgef ngnis. It was built between 1877 and 1881. Oberbaudirektor Heinrich Herrmann designed it. August Busse assisted him. The prison is now a protected historical monument.
Berlin-Moabit has housed radical thinkers for centuries. This wasn’t always by choice. The district held two prisons. They had quite a few famous inmates.
Imagine life within these walls. The original design included a five-pointed star-shaped men’s prison. There was also a smaller men’s prison with a hospital. A women’s prison existed. A kitchen and administration building completed the complex.
Carl Krohne became the director in 1884. He was a prison reform advocate. In the 1930s, the first criminal biology research center in Prussia was founded here.
During World War II, the front building was almost completely destroyed. From 1955 to 1962, Prison II was rebuilt. Extensive renovations followed.
The visible part of the building is a curved rear structure. It once faced the inner courtyard. The other three wings were replaced with a new building and walls. The remaining structure shows where stairwells connected street-side wings.
The Rathenower Stra e once ran straight. It connected to Alt-Moabit further east. Now, it curves across the old main building’s area. This leads directly to Paulstra e.
Less known is the historical five-cell-block layout behind the visible wing. It resembles the former Lehrter Stra e cell prison. A direct connection to the Moabit Criminal Court remains. This allows remand prisoners to be escorted to courtrooms within the complex.
During the Nazi era, many opponents of the regime were imprisoned here at Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit. Georgi Dimitrov was briefly detained after the Reichstag fire. Ernst Th lmann was held in solitary confinement for 11 years.
Many involved in the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler were imprisoned here. This included Albrecht Haushofer. He wrote the Moabiter Sonette during his imprisonment.
After the war, the old prison was heavily damaged. It was demolished. In 1955, construction began on the current Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit. It was completed in 1964.
In the 1970s, many left-wing terrorists were held here. A high-security terrorism unit was added for them. After German reunification, Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit held SED leaders. Erich Honecker, Egon Krenz, and Erich Mielke were among them.
Today, Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit holds around 971 male prisoners. They are awaiting trial or serving sentences. Inmates can watch cable TV in their individual cells. They are furnished with basic amenities. They participate in gardening, painting, and other programs. These aim to help them become productive citizens.
The Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit stands as a silent witness to Berlin’s tumultuous history. It is a place of confinement and a monument to justice.