Kaßberg & Kaßberg Prison Memorial
Kaßberg
One of Europe's largest intact districts of Art Nouveau and Gründerzeit housing, which also contains a memorial to East German political prisoners.
Kaßberg is a late-19th-century residential district on the high ground west of the city. It survived the war largely intact, with hundreds of apartment buildings in the Art Nouveau and historicist styles, decorated with reliefs and painted façades. Cafés and small pubs line the streets. The Kaßberg Prison was used by the East German Stasi to hold political prisoners, and it was also a transit point for West German 'buy-outs' of political prisoners. It has been open since 2023 as a place of learning and remembrance, where visitors can learn about Cold War history. The memorial is open Wednesday to Sunday, with free or low-cost admission. It is about a 15-minute walk from the city center.
Opening hours
Neighborhood open all day; memorial Wed–Sun
Nearby sights
- Museum Gunzenhauser
- Museum für sächsische Fahrzeuge
- Markt, Old & New Town Hall
- Roter Turm
- Petrified Forest & Museum of Natural History
- Karl Marx Monument
- smac – State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz
- Schloßbergmuseum & Schloßkirche