Amtsgerichtsgefängnis Oederan
THE ABANDONED PRISON IN GERMANY
Explore the ‘Amtsgerichtsgefängnis Oederan’. This prison opened in the fall of 1911. It functioned as a prison until 1960, when it was taken over by the city of Oederan in 1965. After being used as apartments for a few years, it was left abandoned in 1996.
During the 19th century, the city council made a decision to enlarge the upper level of the town hall. Their plan was to accommodate not just a court office, but also a prison. As the existing rooms in the town hall became inadequate, a brand-new courthouse and a prison with 17 cells were constructed in 1910. Surprisingly, just a year later, both the art nouveau court and the prison were officially opened.
To facilitate the transportation of convicted prisoners, an underground passage was constructed to connect the two buildings. Additionally, there are three courtyards adjacent to the prison, all enclosed by a 4-meter-high wall.
Second World War and Cold War era
An early concentration camp for political opponents of National Socialism was located here from the beginning of March until April 1933. There is evidence that 80 prisoners were locked up. After the Second World War, the prison underwent a transformation and became a pre-trial detention center. However, it was eventually shut down in 1960. From 1952 to 1994, the courthouse served as the district court for the Flöha district. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Consumers’ co-operative used some parts of the property as apartments, while the other parts functioned as a warehouse for the organization. One apartment remained until 1996, but since then, the prison has been completely vacant.
The court is a listed monument. During my visit, the city used the old court as a town hall until renovation of the town hall is complete. I visited the ‘Amtsgerichtsgefängnis Oederan’ in 2019. You can find more abandoned prisons here. You can contact the city administration to visit the prison building.
