– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

I’m here in the former Stasi prison in Hohenschönhausen in Berlin.

Now a museum and memorial site,

this prison complex was once a key part

of East Germany's secret service agency the Stasi.

During the Cold War, the Stasi was notorious for its oppressive control

over citizens, holding thousands of political prisoners.

If these walls could talk, they would telling you harrowing stories

of oppression and isolation.

Mario Röllig was a prisoner here for three months in 1987.

His time here may have been relatively short,

but the scars remain until today.

Mario tried to flee from East Germany to the former Yugoslavia via Hungary.

He was arrested by Hungarian border police and sent back to East Berlin,

where his actions were deemed criminal by the state.

From 1951 to 1989 this prison held some 11,000 people

considered hostile to the communist GDR,

and that included West Berliners, even before the Berlin Wall was built.

We're walking now among the interrogation rooms.

There are dozens of them.

What was it like to be interrogated here?

Did you lose track of time?

The Stasi prison in Hohenschönhausen employed several methods

to keep prisoners separated and isolated:

Small, soundproof cells and interrogation rooms

made it difficult for prisoners

to see or communicate with each other.

Guards followed strict protocols to ensure prisoners did not interact.

For example, prisoners were often moved individually

through the building using red and green lights

to indicate when the corridor was free.

There was also an isolation unit known as "The Submarine" for special cases,

including well-known political opponents of the state.

Mario was rewarded for providing information,

and that took it's form in time outside,

in this open-air cell.

Mario was released from prison in September of 1987

under a West German program that paid 90,000 DM for his freedom.

Years later, long after the Berlin Wall fell,

he had a bitter encounter with one of his former Stasi officers

at a Berlin department store.

This experience eventually led him to give tours

and speak publicly about his past,

highlighting that many former Stasi officers walk freely,

showing little regret for their past actions.

I’ve been to other prison museums, such as Alcatraz in San Francisco.

But I must say that nothing leaves you

with a feeling of such oppression and isolation as this Stasi prison.

Would you put it on your list of sites to visit in Berlin?

Let us know in the comments.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
prison /ˈprɪzən/ A2	noun - a building where people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed
complex /ˈkɒmpleks/ B2	noun - a group of buildings designed for a particular purpose adjective - consisting of many different and connected parts
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ A2	adjective - not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others noun - something that is kept hidden or that is known about by only a few people
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between countries or groups within a country
control /kənˈtrəʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events verb - to have the power to direct or influence (someone's behavior or the course of events).
prisoner /ˈprɪznər/ B1	noun - a person captured and held
oppression /əˈpreʃən/ C1	noun - prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control
isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/ B2	noun - the state of being separated from others; solitude
scar /skɑːr/ B2	noun - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not completely healed and fibrous connective tissue has developed verb - mark with a scar or scars.
flee /fliː/ C1	verb - run away from a place or situation of danger
arrest /əˈrest/ B1	verb - seize (someone) by legal authority and take them into custody noun - the action of seizing someone to take into custody.
hostile /ˈhɒstaɪl/ B2	adjective - showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly
interrogation /ɪnˌterəˈɡeɪʃən/ C1	noun - the action of interrogating someone
soundproof /ˈsaʊndpruːf/ B2	adjective - designed to prevent sound from entering or leaving verb - make (a room or building) soundproof.
protocol /ˈprəʊtəkɒl/ C1	noun - the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions
encounter /ɪnˈkaʊntər/ B2	noun - an unexpected or casual meeting with someone or something verb - unexpectedly experience or be faced with (something difficult or hostile).
bitter /ˈbɪtər/ B2	adjective - having an unpleasantly sharp taste
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done verb - feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that has happened or been done, especially a loss or mistake)