Federal Archives for Stasi Records Chemnitz
RENOVATION OF A GDR INDUSTRIAL BUILDING TO HOUSE THE STASI DOCUMENT ARCHIVE OF THE CHEMNITZ BRANCH OFFICE
The former Robotron building between Lothringer Strasse and Bruno-Salzer-Strasse in Chemnitz has been converted to house approximately 7.5 kilometres of archival records from the former Karl-Marx-Stadt District Ministry for State Security. The two-storey building, dating back to the 1970s, is located in the immediate neighbourhood of the Federal State Archives. In addition to providing optimal storage conditions for the archived files, the building also houses all the associated administrative offices.
As the site is characterised by its industrial character, visitors approaching from Bruno-Salzer-Strasse are guided to the entrance via a ramp. The representative foyer is located along the internal access road, directly opposite the entrance to the Federal State Archives. Housing the reception area, the spacious double-storey foyer welcomes visitors and provides space for temporary exhibitions.
The original low-rise building consists of a two-storey, sturdily supported internal hall surrounded by a separate perimeter structure, originally designed for office use. This existing principle is particularly well suited to the new requirements and has therefore been retained for the new use.
The dim internal area of the building, protected from external influences, now accommodates the climate-controlled archive storage rooms (Building A), while the offices (Building B) are arranged along the naturally lit external façades, giving the building an inherent organisational structure.
The façade has been upgraded with windows and external doors framed in anodised aluminium, as well as glazed elements with external solar shading. Coloured corrugated steel panels with integrated thermal insulation complete the façade’s distinctive appearance.
The archive and storage areas are equipped with state-of-the-art mechanically operated mobile shelving systems.
