NS Documentation Centre (EL-DE House)

A memorial and museum on the Nazi era in the former Gestapo prison EL-DE House – one of Cologne's most important places of remembrance.

Memorial History Rainy day

The NS Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne is a museum, memorial and research institution on the city's history under National Socialism. It is housed in the EL-DE House on Appellhofplatz, the former Cologne Gestapo headquarters.

Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-24

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At a glance

Location: EL-DE House, Appellhofplatz
Themes: Cologne 1933–1945, persecution and resistance
Notable: an original Gestapo prison preserved in the basement
Function: museum, memorial, place of education

Remembrance at an authentic site

In the building's basement, the cells of the former Gestapo prison survive with their harrowing wall inscriptions – a moving testimony. The permanent exhibition "Cologne under National Socialism" documents persecution, everyday life and resistance. The centre is one of the city's most important places of learning and remembrance.