Kaßberg Prison: The dark history of the bailouts revealed!

Kaßberg Prison: The dark history of the bailouts revealed!

On June 17, 2025, an information board reminiscent of the dark history of the place was unveiled at the former Kaßberg prison in Chemnitz. This prison was not only the largest pre-trial detention center of the GDR Ministry for State Security, but also the central processing point for the release of prisoners from the GDR, which MDR reports on. Between 1962 and 1989, almost 30,000 of the more than 33,000 political prisoners from the GDR were ransomed here - a dark chapter in German history.

The Kaßberg Prison, built between 1876 and 1877, has an eventful history. It most recently served as a correctional facility until it was closed in 2010 due to structural defects. Previously, the complex was under the control of the Soviet secret police NKVD/MGB and, during Nazism, a site for numerous victims, including political opponents and Jews. This is also reflected in the variety of prison conditions, which were extremely poor during this time, characterized by overcrowding and the use of violence, as Wikipedia notes.

From dictatorship to memorial

Since 2023, part of the site has been preserved as a “Kaßberg Prison learning and memorial site”. This institution has the task of addressing the double history of dictatorship and preserving the stories of former prisoners. The learning location in the former prison wing B, also known as the “bird cage”, offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the reality of life of the prisoners. What is impressive is that over 10,000 people visited this historically important place in 2024 to find out more about political persecution and the ransom of prisoners, according to information from the Kaßberg-Prison Learning and Memorial Association.

The shocking figures on the release of prisoners are also worth mentioning: Between 1964 and 1989, a total of 33,755 political prisoners were ransomed for around 3.5 billion DM. It was a kind of “commodity against commodity,” which illustrates the absurdity and cruelty of the system. The Chemnitz location was deliberately chosen to keep transport routes convenient, as the ransomed prisoners usually reached the Giessen emergency room via the Wartha/Herleshausen border crossing.

Education and enlightenment in focus

With a clear focus on education and enlightenment, the learning and memorial site functions as an important part of political education in Germany. The aim here is not only to examine the actions of the Ministry for State Security, but also to promote awareness of democracy. It is a place of remembrance and learning that does not allow the past to be forgotten, but encourages us to learn from it so that history does not repeat itself.

Visitors are invited to engage with the biographical fates of former political prisoners on site and thus preserve a piece of our history. The Kaßberg prison was not only a place of suffering, but is now a place of learning for the future and helps ensure that such offenses never happen again. For further information, it is worth taking a look at the association's website Learning and Memorial Kaßberg-Gefängnis e.V..