In Magdeburg stands an imposing building that served as a silent witness to more than a century of German history: the former Justizvollzugsanstalt Magdeburg. The prison opened in 1903, at a time when the German Empire was constructing large, stern-looking judicial complexes. Its high walls, narrow windows, and solid inner courtyard made it a place designed to prevent both visibility and escape.

During the Nazi era, the building took on a darker role. It functioned not only as an ordinary prison, but also as a holding facility for political prisoners, communists, social democrats, and Jewish residents. For many, it was merely a brief stop on the way to deportation. After the war, the prison was taken over by the Soviet occupation forces and used for their own internal investigations and detentions. The walls once again witnessed fear and forced silence.

When the GDR was established, the prison continued to serve as a place where critics of the regime could be made to disappear. The uprising of June 17, 1953 left a deep mark on the location: during the protests, several people were killed in Magdeburg, and multiple arrested demonstrators were detained in the JVA, some even sentenced to death. For decades, the prison remained an instrument of control in a state where dissent was dangerous.

Only after German reunification did the character of the JVA begin to change. Although the building maintained its function, it became increasingly clear that the infrastructure was outdated. In 2013, the prison was finally closed; the last employees left the site “broom-clean,” as the modern JVA Burg took over its detention duties.