The building complex of the former Stasi district headquarters in Halle (Saale) is set to become a cultural hub! This is the aim of the NEB_PROJECT 'Gemeinschaftsamt – Kulturfabrik 5.0'. On the 3rd of August 2026, in Halle-Neustadt and directly in front of the former Stasi headquarter, Minister of State and Minister for Culture Rainer Robra presented the funding announcements to the three partners within the NEB consortium: Peißnitzhaus e. V., Kulturbühne Neustadt e. V. and losmachen e. V. Around one million euros from the European 'Just Transition Fund' (JTF) is thus available to these dedicated stakeholders for the 'development of a concept for a public-interest-oriented revitalisation' of the abandoned Stasi site by 2027. Rainer Robra emphasised: 'By presenting these grant notifications, we are sending out an important signal. Saxony-Anhalt is characterised by creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and an awareness of history. This is evident in the way we are shaping structural change and also in the realisation of this project. The transformation of our society is an opportunity, and the 'Gemeinschaftsamt' project makes it possible to create a flagship European initiative. Our state is not only located in central Germany, but also at the heart of Europe."
Transforming this site – which once symbolised surveillance and oppression by the Stasi – into an open space for social interaction and culture, as well as a hub for community-led urban development, is certainly, as was frequently remarked on the afternoon, a massive undertaking. However, it rests on the strong shoulders of civil society through the non-profit cooperative 'Gemeinschaftsamt gemeinnützigen eG', founded in September 2025. Within this cooperative, the NEB-funded associations, amongst others, are dedicating themselves with courage and confidence to the revitalisation of the site. They aim to open up the approximately 20,000-square-metre site – comprising the seven-storey main building, the two-storey social centre and a whole range of other buildings and spaces – for future projects, social interaction, innovation and collaboration, and to purchase it from the state for this purpose. In the NEB_FOKUS: a feasibility study demonstrating how the listed building stock can be gradually adapted for new uses without demolition or new construction.
The history of the site is to be intentionally kept present. As the former headquarters of the State Security service, the site bears witness to the political control of the labour market in the former GDR, as well as to Halle-Neustadt's development into a workers' housing estate for the surrounding industrial complexes. First-hand witnesses, academic research, exhibitions and educational programmes aim to explore this history through a wide range of initiatives and link it to questions concerning a future-proof urban society. The result is a new hub where neighbourhood life, art, education, social initiatives and work for the common good can come together: for people of different generations, lifestyles and cultural backgrounds. And it is precisely all of these people who are called upon to join in the effort to create future-oriented and, above all, sustainable usage concepts for the building complex under the leadership of the Community Office – entirely in line with the NEB's values: BEAUTIFUL. SUSTAINABLE. TOGETHER.
You can find more information about the project here.
