EL-DE Haus
In the summer of 1935, the Cologne Gestapo took over a house called EL-DE haus in central Cologne. The name comes from how the house owner’s, Leopold Dahmen, initials is pronounced. The central location of the house made the presence of the Gestapo well known for everyone. The proximity to the local police headquarters, the court and Cologne’s central prison was also advantageous. When Gestapo moved in, existing living areas were converted into offices and ten prison cells were set up in the basement. The rebuilding was completed in December 1935 and the Gestapo was able to move in and they remained until early March 1945 when American troops approached Cologne.
Current status: Preserved with museum (2006).
Address: Appellhofplatz 23-25, 50667 Köln.
Get there: Metro to Appellhofplatz Station.
Follow up in books: Höhne, Heinz: The Order of the Death’s Head: The story of Hitler’s SS (1969).
The larger concentration camps museums usually have English translation. But the lesser-known concentration camps and prisons rarely have any good or no translation whatsoever. Therefore, German language skills are a prerequisite for being able to access the information available at the museum.