Where to See the July Plot and German Resistance Sites in Berlin
The two most important July Plot sites in Berlin are the Bendlerblock, where Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg led the failed 20 July 1944 coup against Hitler and was executed that same night, and the Plötzensee Memorial, where many of the conspirators and other resistance fighters were later put to death. Both are free to visit.
The central place to see the July Plot story in Berlin is the Bendlerblock — the former army headquarters where Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg ran the failed 1944 coup against Hitler, and where he was shot in the courtyard that same night. Today it's the German Resistance Memorial Center on Stauffenbergstraße, it's free to enter, and the courtyard marks the exact spot of the executions. A second key site, the Plötzensee Memorial, is where many of those condemned after the plot were executed.
I'm Jeremy, and I take visitors into the Bendlerblock courtyard on my tours. What makes it land isn't drama — it's the quiet: ordinary office windows, a stone wall, a small paved yard, and the knowledge that Germany's most famous attempt to stop Hitler ended right there. Here's how to find these sites and what you'll see.
Where was Stauffenberg executed?
In the courtyard of the Bendlerblock, on the night of 20 July 1944, only hours after the bomb at Hitler's headquarters failed to kill him. Stauffenberg and three fellow officers — Friedrich Olbricht, Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, and Werner von Haeften — were shot there by firing squad. A bronze statue of a bound man now stands on the spot, and a nearby plaque reads, in German, "You did not bear the shame. You resisted."
What is the German Resistance Memorial Center?
It's the museum and memorial (in German, the Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand) housed in the very building where the coup was organized, at Stauffenbergstraße 13–14 in the Tiergarten district — a street renamed after Stauffenberg himself. Entry is free. It's generally open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays from 10am to 6pm — check gdw-berlin.de before you go, as hours can change.
Inside, a permanent exhibition of more than a thousand photographs and documents tells the story not just of Stauffenberg, but of the whole breadth of German resistance — in the churches, the labor movement, the arts, and among Jews, Sinti and Roma, and young people. It's a reminder that the July Plot was one part of a wider, riskier story of people who said no. Give yourself about two to three hours.
Many visitors are surprised to discover that the museum tells the story not only of military resistance, but also of students, clergy, workers, diplomats, artists, and ordinary Germans who opposed the Nazi regime in different ways.
How do you get there?
The Bendlerblock is an easy walk from Potsdamer Platz (about 10 minutes) — a major U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and regional hub. Bus line M29 stops right outside at "Gedenkstätte deutscher Widerstand," and the M48 and M85 stop about five minutes away at Kulturforum. It sits just south of the Tiergarten, near the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, so it pairs naturally with other central sites.
Can you visit the Bendlerblock and Plötzensee in one day?
Yes, but plan for travel time — they're not close. The Bendlerblock is in Tiergarten, near Potsdamer Platz; the Plötzensee Memorial is in the Charlottenburg-Nord area in the city's northwest, a fair way across town. A natural order is to start at the Bendlerblock, where the conspiracy was run and ended, then continue to Plötzensee, where many of those condemned afterward were executed. The first tells the story of the plot; the second is where the regime carried out its revenge. Allow at least half a day for both.
What is the Plötzensee Memorial?
The Plötzensee Memorial (Gedenkstätte Plötzensee) marks the former prison where the Nazi judiciary executed more than 2,800 people between 1933 and 1945 — among them members of the Red Orchestra (Rote Kapelle), the Kreisau Circle, and many of those sentenced after the 20 July plot. Around half of those killed were German, and around half came from more than twenty other nations across occupied Europe. The former execution room is now a place of remembrance. Entry is free, and the site is run by the same memorial foundation as the Bendlerblock. Together, the two sites bookend the story — where the conspiracy ended, and where its aftermath played out.
Many visitors know the name Stauffenberg but are surprised to discover how broad the German resistance really was. These two memorials tell a much larger story than one failed assassination attempt.
Is it worth visiting?
If Berlin's WWII history is part of why you came, yes — the Bendlerblock is one of the few places where you can stand on the precise ground where this history happened, for free, in the middle of the city. For the full story of the plot itself — what Operation Valkyrie was, how it unfolded, and why it failed — read my companion piece on the Stauffenberg Plot. And if you'd like to walk these sites with context — not just dates and names, but the choices, risks, and consequences behind them — that's what I focus on in my Third Reich tours of Berlin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Stauffenberg executed?
In the courtyard of the Bendlerblock in Berlin, on the night of 20 July 1944. The spot is now marked by a memorial statue at the German Resistance Memorial Center.
Can you visit the Bendlerblock, and is it free?
Yes. The Bendlerblock houses the German Resistance Memorial Center on Stauffenbergstraße, and entry is free. It's open Monday to Friday 9am–6pm and Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays 10am–6pm; check gdw-berlin.de for current hours.
Can you visit the Bendlerblock and Plötzensee on the same day?
Yes, but allow travel time. The Bendlerblock is in Tiergarten near Potsdamer Platz, while Plötzensee is in Charlottenburg-Nord in the northwest. Together they show both the attempted coup and the executions that followed.
How do you get to the German Resistance Memorial Center?
It's about a 10-minute walk from Potsdamer Platz. Bus M29 stops directly outside at "Gedenkstätte deutscher Widerstand," and the M48 and M85 stop about five minutes away at Kulturforum.
What is the difference between the Bendlerblock and Plötzensee?
The Bendlerblock is where the July 1944 coup was run and where Stauffenberg was executed that night. The Plötzensee Memorial marks the prison where many of those sentenced after the plot were executed, alongside members of other resistance groups such as the Red Orchestra and the Kreisau Circle.
How long do you need at the German Resistance Memorial Center?
Most visitors spend about two to three hours to take in the full exhibition and the courtyard memorial.
Related Berlin guides
The Stauffenberg Plot: A Failed Attempt to Assassinate Hitler
The Stauffenberg Plot: The 20 July 1944 Attempt to Kill Hitler (Operation Valkyrie)
Visiting Sachsenhausen from Berlin
How to Visit the Reichstag Dome in Berlin: Free Entry, Registration & Hours
