NS Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne

The NS Documentation Centre occupies the EL-DE-Haus on Appellhofplatz, a building that served as Cologne's Gestapo headquarters from 1935 to 1945. The basement held prison cells where detainees were interrogated and tortured; inscriptions scratched into the walls by prisoners survive to this day and form one of the most immediate testimonies in the permanent exhibition. Founded in 1987, the centre functions simultaneously as a museum, memorial site, and research institution documenting Nazi rule in Cologne, the fate of persecuted groups, and acts of resistance. It is open Tuesday through Friday 10 am–6 pm and weekends 11 am–6 pm; admission fees apply.