From the Museum
10 popular places in the exhibition of the DDR Museum
Since 2006, visitors have been able to immerse themselves in the history of a past state in the DDR Museum. Many interactive media stations, countless original objects and unique installations await you in our permanent exhibition. Here we present the 10 most popular places that you should definitely not miss during your visit, based on selected Instagram pictures of museum visitors.
1. The kitchen in the recreated WBS 70 flat
The GDR kitchen was creative because it had to deal with the everyday lack of products. The recipe printer in our recreated kitchen shows you the most popular dishes and drinks, which you can even take home and prepare yourself.
Photo: Kitchen in the DDR Museum, Insta @marina_marina19.03
2. The wall diorama in the first part of the exhibition
The Berlin Wall separated the city for more than 28 years. For a long time, no one could have imagined that on 9 November 1989, with the Peaceful Revolution, it would finally be consigned to history. The diorama in the DDR Museum shows that the Wall was not just made up of concrete slabs, but was rather a heavily secured strip of wall where at least 140 people lost their lives.
Photo: Wall diorama in the DDR Museum, Insta @sueduke1
3. The Party Desk in the Second Section of the Exhibition
At the party desk, Karl Marx, Lenin and Friedrich Engels keep an eye on the visitors. The ideology of Marxism-Leninism not only determined political events in the GDR, but also in the entire so-called Eastern Bloc, which included the Soviet Union and the People's Republics of Poland and Hungary.
Photo: Party desk in the DDR Museum, Insta @magicien.merlin
4. The Stasi Listening Room in the DDR Museum
The State Security Service, or Stasi for short, was the domestic secret police of the GDR and at the same time an investigative agency and foreign intelligence service. In addition to full-time officers, around 180,000 people (autumn 1989) worked as "unofficial collaborators" (IM) and secretly spied on family, friends, acquaintances or strangers. The Stasi listening room in our exhibition is not hidden, but it could have been set up as a conspiratorial flat or in the attic of a house at the time.
Photo: Listening room in the DDR Museum, Insta @thor_of_tech
5. The kindergarten in the DDR Museum
It was possible for almost all children in the GDR to go to kindergarten. This meant that women whose labour was needed to "build socialism" could pursue a job. In the kindergarten room you can discover many original toys and try them out for yourself.
Photo: Replica kindergarten in the DDR Museum, Insta @fulophinsenkamp
6. The typewriter in the living room of the WBS 70 flat
This sight is certainly a mystery to many. But what many people no longer know today was normal in the past. The "Erika" typewriter was the most widely produced model in the GDR. In the living room of the reconstructed prefabricated flat, you can not only look at it, but also type a little greeting to us.
Photo: Living room table with Erika typewriter, Insta @white_obelisk_28
7. The Trabant 601 with driving simulation
What would a GDR exhibition be without a Trabant? The most widely produced car in the GDR was a small lifelong dream for many because, unlike today, people sometimes had to wait up to 16 years for such a vehicle. With the world's only Trabant driving simulation in the DDR Museum, even the youngest visitors can practise for later.
Photo: Trabant driving simulation at the DDR Museum, Insta @dkdlzp
8. The lift with special effect
You want to see how people lived in the GDR? Nothing could be easier. Ring the bell at the entrance in front of the lift in the exhibition and talk to the residents. The lift will then take you to a fully furnished Plattenbau flat.
Photo: Elevator in the exhibition of the DDR Museum, Insta @tatibelinghair
9. The mirror in the hallway of the flat as a popular selfie spot
The WBS 70 panel-built flat, furnished true to the original, is one of the highlights of the exhibition. Five rooms in the style of the 1970s and 80s show the life of a family of four. In addition to lots of information about private life in the GDR, you'll also find plenty of inspiration for your selfie in the museum.
Photo: Mirror in the hallway of the WBS 70 flat of the DDR Museum, Insta @Chloe_rs
10. The telephone in the lounge area of the living room
A telephone connection was a scarcity in most GDR households. So sit down in peace on the sofa in our living room and listen to what the person on the other end of the line has to say.
Photo: Living room with telephone in the DDR Museum, Insta @annaissakova
