House of Leaves (Museum of Secret Surveillance), Tirana

Partly hidden behind ivy-covered walls, the House of Leaves is one of the city's most powerful reminders of Albania's communist past. Officially known as the Museum of Secret Surveillance, it occupies a villa built in 1931. The building has witnessed several turbulent chapters of Albanian history: it served as an obstetrics clinic before being used by the German Gestapo during World War II, and later became a headquarters of the Sigurimi, the secret police of communist Albania.

For nearly half a century, the Sigurimi played a central role in maintaining the regime of Enver Hoxha. Although officially tasked with protecting state security, the organization became notorious for monitoring citizens, suppressing political opposition, and enforcing conformity through fear. From this building, countless surveillance operations were coordinated, and information was gathered on people whose views or activities were considered suspicious. The museum's nickname, "House of Leaves," comes from the dense vegetation that once helped conceal the activities taking place inside.

Opened as a museum in 2017, the House of Leaves is dedicated to the victims of surveillance, persecution, imprisonment, and execution under the communist regime. Its 31 rooms contain exhibits on the history of the building, the methods and technology used by the Sigurimi, and the personal stories of those affected by the state's extensive spying network. Visitors can see authentic listening devices, wiretapping equipment, photographs, documents, and multimedia presentations that illustrate how deeply surveillance penetrated everyday life.

The museum follows a chronological path through the building. An introduction to the history of the house and the early development of surveillance typically stands on the ground floor. One of the highlights is the Room 07, displaying original wiretapping and listening devices, usually found along the main exhibition route on the lower level. As you move to the next floor, you will encounter reconstructed interrogation and monitoring rooms, which give a vivid sense of how the Sigurimi operated. A key highlight is Room 25, described as the control room for simultaneous wiretapping and voice analysis.