Regierungsvierte in Berlin in Mitte, Germany — Northeast German Plain (The European Plain)
Wilhelmplatz 8/9
| — | Geschichtsmeile Wilhelmstraße | — |
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 2025
1. Wilhelmplatz 8/9 Marker
Im März 1933 bezog das neu gegründete, vom Berliner Gauleiter Joseph Goebbels geleitete Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda das Gebäude. Innerhalb weniger Monate übernahm das Ministerium die Kontrolle über den gesamten Medien- und Kulturbereich. Zu diesem Zweck wurde im September 1933 die Reichskulturkammer geschaffen, deren Mitgliedschaft für Publizisten und Künstler verpflichtend war. Nichtkonformes Verhalten wurde mit Sanktionen belegt. Sie reichten vom Ausschluß aus der Kammer, was Berufsverbot bedeutete, bis zur Einweisung in ein Konzentrationslager.
Das Ministerium trug durch Pressezensur, pompöse Masseninszenierungen und gezielte Manipulation der Bevölkerung zur Stabilisierung des Regimes, zur Ausgestaltung des Führerkultes und zur Verlängerung des Krieges
this page online
1945 brannte das Hauptgebäude aus. Die Erweiterungsbauten blieben größtenteils erhalten. Sie beherbergten nach Gründung der DDR den Deutschen Volkskongreß, das Amt für Information und den Deutschen Volksrat. Heute sind hier Dienststellen des Bundesministeriums für Arbeit und soziale Sicherung untergebracht.
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A town mansion was built here from 1737 to 1742 for the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. After the order was dissolved in 1810, the building became the property of the Prussian royal family. From 1919 it housed the Reich government's United Press Department, which was part of the Foreign Office. Daily press conferences on government affairs were held here.
In March 1933 the newly formed Reich Ministry for People's Education and Propaganda moved into the building. The Berlin Gauleiter, Joseph Goebbels, headed the ministry. Within months it took control of the whole area of media and culture. In September 1933 it set up the Reich Chamber of Culture and imposed obligatory membership on journalists and artists. Nonconformist attitudes resulted in penalties ranging from expulsion from
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 2025
2. Wilhelmplatz 8/9 Marker - wide view
The ministry censored the press, staged grandiose mass events and manipulated the population. This helped to stabilize the Nazi regime, develop the Führer cult and prolong the war.
Several extensions to the ministry were built. In 1934 a new building was erected at the eastern edge of the site. In 1939 the adjacent building, Wilhelmstraße 62, and the buildings along Mauerstraße were demolished to make way for new ones. The main ministry building burned down in 1945, but most of the extensions survived. After the founding of the East German state they housed the National People's Congress, the Office of Information and the National People's Council. Today the site contains offices of the German Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Notable Places. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1933.
Location. 52° 30.734′ N, 13° 22.995′ E. Marker is in Berlin, in Mitte. It is in Regierungsvierte. It is on Wilhelmstraße, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Wilhelmstraße 19, Berlin 10117, Germany. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, Central Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wilhelmstraße 77 (within shouting distance of this marker); Berliner Kongo-Konferenz / Berlin Congo Conference
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 2025
3. Wilhelmplatz 8/9 Marker - wider view
1936
4. Marker photo: Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels
Credits. This page was last revised on January 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 69 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 14, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
