Open-air exhibition "From the castle to the Stasi headquarters"

On Goerdelerring, near the Klingertreppe, the open-air exhibition "From Castle to Stasi Headquarters" recalls the eventful history of Leipzig's Matthäikirchhof - the place where the "urbs libzi", the origins of the city, lay over 1000 years ago. The focus is on the development of the area since the early 20th century: the prestigious administrative building of the Leipzig Fire Insurance Company was built here in 1913. On the night of the bombing on December 4, 1943, the Matthäikirche and the surrounding area were almost completely destroyed. Only the "Round Corner" was preserved. After the liberation of Leipzig, the building initially served as headquarters during the brief American occupation, before becoming the seat of the district administration of the Ministry of State Security under Soviet rule. On December 4, 1989, it was occupied in the course of the Peaceful Revolution, thus initiating the dissolution of the State Security.

The exhibition deliberately chooses access via memory. Archaeological finds and historical evidence from the Middle Ages, the imperial era, the dictatorship and the new democratic beginning illustrate the complex history of the site. Today, the Matthäikirchhof is an authentic place of remembrance for central chapters of Leipzig and German history: from the beginnings of the city, through destruction and dictatorship, to the democratic awakening. The exhibition at the Museum in der Runden Ecke memorial site is freely accessible all day and invites visitors to trace these developments in the urban space and rediscover the historical significance of this central Leipzig location.