Life in the GDR

More information about the GDR in the GDR-Guide, the book accompanying the permanent exhibition for only 6,80 € - order here!

With the help of the protective wall and barbwire, the GDR was shielded from the outside world, while, on the inside, the Stasi was watching. But what was life in socialism like? Did it only consist of Spreewald gherkins, nudism and concrete-slab buildings? Or of full employment and queueing?

The historians have made up their minds and their central points seem to be conclusive. The GDR was a satellite state at Moscow´s mercy. The security apparatus was the iron fist that held everything together.

The planned economy proved to be hopelessly inferior to the market economy. All the generous social benefits offered to the people were just too expensive in the long run and contributed to the economic collapse of the GDR. In 1989, the SED regime was brought down by a democratic mass movement. The vast majority of the people welcomed the reunification.

This is where some might say the story ends. But there are still some points that cannot be easily explained. The GDR was more than just an artificial product of ideology and power - for millions of people it was their life. They grew up in this country, went through the educational system, served in the "armed forces", went to work, founded a family, furnished a flat, and raised the children. It was possible to lead a happy life in the GDR. Sometimes, it was quite easy to forget all about politics and ideology.
But taking into account the general shortage of goods, life was far from idyllic. People were always hunting for scarce goods, but they learned to live with it. They bartered, worked after hours, or participated in illicit trading. Many withdrew into themselves. The dacha became a symbol of the way of life in the GDR.

To get life lively across, that´s the most important aim of the exhibition. Approximately 16 million people lived in the GDR. Every life of every person was different. Still, there were some structures that every citizen of the GDR had to adjust to.
Everyday life is lived history - only comprehensible if you as a visitor experience it, too. This is exactly what the exhibition of the GDR Museum Berlin enables you to do: Visitors are encouraged to handle the exhibits. You can rev the Trabi´s engine, explore a typical kitchen or lounge in authentic GDR movie chairs to watch a documentary. Various stations invite visitors to learn about topics in a playful way. And in the thematic area "Stasi", they can even gain a first - hand experience of what being spied on was like - from the perspecitve of the perpetrator and the victim.