Koepelgevangenis

The Koepelgevangenis (Dome Prison) is a striking 19th-century circular prison in the Valkenberg neighbourhood, built in 1886 on the panopticon design — a central observation tower surrounded by radiating cell wings, so a single guard could theoretically watch every cell. It was used as a prison for over a century, most notoriously to house convicted Nazi war criminals after World War II.

The prison closed in 2014 and the building has been converted into a hotel and events venue, which means you can now sleep in a cell or eat in the prison yard. Guided tours of the historic interior are available. The domed roof and the radial architecture are fascinating even from the outside.

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A story
The Koepelgevangenis held the last three convicted Nazi war criminals in the Netherlands until 1989 — Willy Lages, Ferdinand aus der Fünten, and Franz Fischer were known as 'the Breda Three', then 'the Breda Four' when a fourth was added. Their imprisonment became a major political issue as the men aged; the Dutch government repeatedly refused early release despite diplomatic pressure from Germany, West Germany, and Israel.

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