Stasi Headquarters Tour

Normannenstraße Gate

The former finance office (a finance office again today) was the first building to serve as MfS headquarters after the agency was founded in 1950. The Stasi spread throughout the neighbourhood from here. Entire streets and buildings were built over or demolished. Normannenstraße 22, however, continued to be the MfS’ main address. In 1979, the Stasi blocked off Normannenstraße. It left open a pedestrian pathway and moved the entrance gate to Roedeliusplatz. During the demonstration on 15 January 1990, protesters who gathered on Normannenstraße were able to enter the blocked-off grounds through this gate.