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Top 10 Remarkable Facts About German Spy Museum

German Spy Museum Berlin.jpg Photo by German Spy Museum Berlin –

It is a private museum in Berlin and it was created by Franz-Micheal Gunther who is a former journalist. The museum opened on September 2015, it was designed to educate civilians on the history of spies and espionage in the former spy capital of Germany.

It mainly focuses on the World wars and the cold war through a range of 1000 exhibits and artifacts.  With topics like spy training and animals used as spies, double agents and so much more, the topics intend to entice the visitors to learn more about spies and wars in general.

The spy museum is partnered with International Spy Museum. The curator used to report on the war on terror as a way to campaign to eliminate terrorism. In 2004, his passion for spying expanded resulting in him collecting and planning the creation of the museum.

Franz went through highs and lows to collect historically significant artifacts from former secret service workers and contemporary witnesses to make the museum a success.

The museum was meant to create an educational experience for visitors and demonstrate an objective, non-biased perspective of espionage throughout history.

The museum has information on the State Security Service called the Stasi that emerged in 1949. No detail is left like why it was formed and what was its purpose, all the answers are found at the museum. 

However, that’s not all, the museum has all the details regarding the involvement of Berlin in the Cold War.

1. Creation Of The Museum

World War II area in the German Spy Museum Berlin.jpg Photo by German Spy Museum Berlin –

The architecture of the museum was designed by Frank Wittmer and was inspired by the Glienicker, which was a crucial location during the cold war, due to its nickname ‘The Bridge Of Spies‘

After the museum was opened, the business encountered some financial issues with its innovative funding model, which resulted in its temporary closure. However, after careful planning, the museum was reopened in July 2016 as the German Spy Museum. 

2. Spy Fixation

The museum has a number of exhibits, installations, and artifacts about spying during the cold war. Even though, the museum has details concerning the Berlin Wall and the Berlin Blockade.

It has a lot of research on specific details of the Cold War like the notion that it involved spies or it was a war designed specifically for spies. From the tactics used to the technology used the museum has it all.

3. Exhibitions And Tour

Being that the main aim was to educate its visitors, the exhibits are positioned in chronological order which was the idea of Banfer Kartenbeck. Due to his design, the visitors can have a physical timeline they can walk through.

From secret scriptures to the recent NSA debate, it also has the cipher technique spies used but that is not all, they also have secret service methods of Oliver Cromwell. Visitors can also read about the personal stories of witnesses.

4. Security Of The Museum

German spy’s possessions, Edinburgh Castle – geograph.org.uk – 2179550.jpg Photo by kim traynor –

The museum has security cameras peering down on the visitors. The cameras highlight the issue of surveillance, data, and security which affects every individual.  A company called Garamantis invented interactive technologies and a software system for the museum.

The high-tech design is displayed on 200 screens throughout the museum, The museum also contains a large display wall that plays more than 150 videos simultaneously.

5. Multimedia Activities

The Berlin Spy Museum has ‘Morse Code‘ stations that are positioned in the WW1 section. Visitors are allowed to send secret messages through Morse code. But that’s not all, it also has a cipher machine where visitors can encode and decode messages.

Through this machine, they can communicate with other guests while also learning about the history of the old typewriters. One thing that shocks most of the visitors is that it has Facebook puzzles to show the visitors just how much information Facebook has about its users.

6. Fun Activities At The Museum

DSM Laserparcours1 1600 rgb.jpg Photo by German Spy Museum Berlin –

Visitors are allowed to feel the adrenaline of being a spy by being put in a bug detector room with a time limit, the room is a replica of an office in order to make the experience as real as possible. 

Visitors are also physically tested through a laser maze obstacle course. The course is meant to be tricky but also shows how spies went through many challenges. After completing the maze, they are meant to reconstruct destroyed files.

The purpose of these puzzles and games is to ensure that the guests enjoy themselves while putting themselves in the shoes of spies. The harder the challenge the more real the experience feels.

7. Original Artifacts

The artifacts that have been collected over the years have been preserved to expose visitors to the methods and tactics that were used by spies. The artifacts were sourced by the curators and historians of the museum. 

The museum has accumulated a lot of artifacts from World War II and the Cold War.

Artifacts like the Bulgarian Umbrella was an umbrella designed for assignations, it had poison pellet. It was believed to have murdered Georgi Markov a Bulgarian writer and critic of communism.

It was later revealed that he didn’t die through the umbrella but it is still displayed at the museum. 

8. Artificial Artifacts

Due to the fact that some artifacts were hard to find or misplaced, the museum’s curators and historians were able to craft replicas that look exactly like the original.

One fun fact most visitors like about the museum is that it has props that were used in the James Bond movies.

9. The Enigma Machine

Being the most famous encryption machine of World War II, there is no doubt it is the most fascinating artifact at the museum. It was invented in 1918 by Dr. Arthur Scherbius, it was meant to resemble the construction of an old-school typewriter.

Due to the fact it was used in the Second World War, the machine is found in the timeline section of the entire war. 

10. The Entire Tour

Model Glienicker Bridge in the German Spy Museum Berlin.jpg Photo by German Spy Museum Berlin –

For new visitors, the entire tour takes about 4 hours for one to enjoy the trip fully, to pass by every artifact that influenced the war in one way or the other.

However, the experience is worth every minute of the experience and the educational value. By the time you leave there, you will have learned so much about all the wars of the world and how hard spies work.