The Museum of State Security Wiretapping, otherwise known as the "House of Leaves", is one of the most unique museum institutions in Albania, which sheds light on the mechanisms of surveillance and control during the communist regime.
It is located in the center of Tirana, opposite the Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and constitutes a historical and reflective destination for local and foreign visitors.
The building has a long and multifaceted history:
- In 1931 it was built as a private clinic;
- During World War II it was used by the Gestapo;
- After the war, during the communist regime, it served as the headquarters of the State Security's wiretapping operations, the institution that supervised and controlled citizens.
The museum opened to the public on May 23, 2017, and since then has offered a deeply emotional experience through original documents, surveillance equipment, photographs, and testimonies from that time.
The exhibitions are organized into several thematic pavilions that show how citizens were surveilled, the methods used for sleep deprivation, and the impact of fear and isolation on daily life during the dictatorship.
In addition to permanent exhibitions, the museum also organizes temporary exhibitions, cultural events, and educational activities that encourage reflection and dialogue on the past.
"The House with Leaves" is today a place of memory and historical awareness, preserving a dark but essential part of 20th-century Albanian history.
