Model of Prison @museum.de

M2: Have you heard of the "Cafe Achteck" (the Octagon Café) or the "Stern von Bruchsal" (the Star of Bruchsal)? The official name is much less appealing: Bruchsal Prison.

F: The building was opened in 1848 as the "New Men's Prison". It was to become one of the best-known and most influential prison buildings of its time. On the one hand this was because of the new custody system practised there, and on the other because of its design. The star-shaped complex was the brainchild of Baden's Director of Construction, Heinrich Hübsch.

M: Criminal law and the penal system underwent a major reform in the 19th century. The old jails and workhouses, with their large dormitories and workrooms, had fallen into disrepute. Alongside Prussia, Baden led the way in reforming the penal system.

F: In future, the prisoners were to be accommodated in single-occupancy cells and have no contact of any kind with fellow inmates or the outside world. Bruchsal was to be the first place to implement this custody system. That meant a new type of building was required. Even to contemporaries, the complex seemed like a fortress:

M: The prison was surrounded by a high, crenelated wall with watchtowers. Behind the wall stood a red sandstone building with four wings. That was an unusual material for the Bruchsal area. At the centre of the complex was a tall octagonal tower. There were originally three circular exercise yards between the wings.

F: The interior was stone construction throughout, with only the cell doors and the original roof structure made of wood. In the early days, the cell windows had frosted glass to prevent inmates from looking out. However, this was abandoned because the cells were also used as work spaces. To ensure that solitary confinement was strictly enforced, there were English-style "stalls" for school attendance and religious services. The prisoners sat or stood in small wooden cubicles that only allowed them to look straight ahead.

M2: On the night of the 5th of October 1871, the men's prison almost went up in flames. The historical report of the incident reads like a thriller. A prisoner called Schwäble had managed to escape from his cell, had stolen a guard's uniform and was preparing to abseil down from the building. But he was spotted! Schwäble barricaded himself in the prison chapel. He was beside himself, raging and rampaging. And he was also armed with a rifle. In the end, he set fire to the place. Even a bullet in the back and a blow from a sword could not stop him. But eventually, Schwäble was overpowered. When he was asked what had driven him to his actions, the seriously wounded man is said to have replied, "Oh, I was just delusional – just delusional".