In the location's words:

The triad of museum, research site and archive has existed since 1987; in 2015, the space was tripled and supplemented by the permanent exhibition "Düsseldorf Children and Young People under National Socialism." The location was chosen with care: The rooms in the Stadthaus served as offices, interrogation rooms and detention cells for the police, Gestapo and SS during the Nazi era. From 1926 until the beginning of 1934, the police headquarters was located here, and the Gestapo was also subordinate to it until 1934. Later, the Schutzstaffel (SS) and the Wehrbezirkskommando (military district command) moved into the building.