A memorial and a museum located in Berlin’s north-eastern Lichtenberg district, the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial stands today as a sombre reminder of the horrors suffered by prisoners over the course of 44 years. Called Special Camp N.o 3 and run by the Soviet Secret Police, almost 3000 people perished in the camp at the conclusion of World War 2. The building was later taken over by the Stasi, who imprisoned people trying to flee the harsh conditions of life in East Germany during the Cold War and political prisoners.

Founded by former inmates, the halls of the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial would tell you ghastly tales of torture and mistreatment of human life, if they could talk. So take a trip down the memory lane of Germany’s dark past and consider the value of the freedom we enjoy today.