The Baltic Sea – holiday destination, border region, place of longing
The sunny and dark sides of the Baltic Sea coast
The special exhibition »The Baltic Sea – holiday destination, border region, place of longing« is dedicated to the special significance of the Baltic Sea coast for the people of the GDR and reflects very different facets. It illustrates the complex reality on the Baltic coast of the GDR: the harmonious combination of idyllic everyday life and the constant military threat. It also shows the gap between the realized dreams of carefree beach vacations and the unfulfilled longings for freedom and world travel.
In addition to the many idyllic vacation memories, there were also the dark sides of the Baltic Sea coast as a border region. Numerous souvenirs and books tell of the longing, wanderlust and thirst for adventure that many GDR citizens cherished, but were rarely able to live out. Prohibition signs and information about the nightly surveillance of the beaches - for example by searchlights looking out for fleeing people – illustrate the GDR's strict border policy. The Baltic Sea coast was also the scene of military conflicts during the Cold War. Every day, the roaring Sukhoi 22 fighter-bombers of the NVA broke through the peaceful beach idyll.
Picture: Special exhibition showcase »The Baltic Sea«
In cooperation with the magazine SUPERillu, we launched a competition in the run-up to the opening of the exhibition, in which the most beautiful beach castle photo was awarded a prize. Numerous participants sent in their photos as well as personal stories that bring their memories of the Baltic Sea to life. The winning photo will be exhibited in the form of a detailed model created by model maker Linda Blüml, who has already built several dioramas for our exhibition in the past. The pictures that didn't make it to the final are also part of the exhibition and are presented with explanatory texts on a corresponding digital screen. We are also showing a wealth of accessories from the period – from diving goggles to classic sand toys such as buckets.
The exhibition shows lovingly curated exhibits and tells the story of the sea as a myth, the sea border and the border region, art and culture, accommodation and food as well as beach life in five themed areas. Two of the exhibits are briefly presented below.
Record »The Baltic Sea must be a sea of peace«
The Baltic Sea was never a sea of peace, least of all in the 20th century. Since the beginning of the Cold War, the sea border of the GDR was the front line between East and West. It was also well guarded to ensure that no one had the idea of escaping the GDR by sea forever. But as rigidly armed as the coastline was, the GDR's peace propaganda was just as loud. The FDGB, the trade union of the GDR, regularly held so-called »Workers' Conferences of the Baltic Sea Countries«. The main aim was to present a prosperous and peace-loving republic to guests from Scandinavia. The meetings were held under the motto: »The Baltic Sea must be a sea of peace«. This was also the name of the LP released by the FDGB in 1984 to mark the 25th Workers' Conference.
The LP offers excerpts from the program that was presented by the song group »Neue Horizonte« of the »Volkstheater Rostock« at the start of the »Workers' Conference« in the Rostock Sports and Congress Hall. It contains workers' songs from the participating countries and political songs such as »Meinst du, die Russen wollen Krieg« (»Do you think the Russians want war«) based on a text by Yevgeny Yevtushenko. It will have encouraged the guests from Northern Europe in their desire for disarmament.
Picture: Eterna vinyl record »Die Ostsee muß ein Meer des Friedens sein!«
Captain Briese – a rubber doll in a sailor's outfit
Travel souvenirs tell us a lot about the secret and not-so-secret longings of their buyers. These souvenirs are significant sources for cultural history.
The little rubber doll in the sailor's outfit made of blue felt and the sailor's cap is an example of similar souvenirs that were available in abundance and for little money on the Baltic coast during the GDR era.
This is not just any sailor, but Captain Brise. Many Baltic Sea vacationers knew him as a character from the children's radio program on Radio GDR. Every Thursday at 8.40 a.m., the program »Aus dem Butzemannhaus« was broadcast with a permanent ensemble. The captain told stories from the life of a sailor.
Of course, the character was a cliché and it was pure sailor's yarn what the old captain told over grog and strong Knaster with a slightly Low German accent. But the underlying longing to escape from everyday life, to travel across the great sea, was part of the attraction of the Baltic coast for many GDR citizens.
Picture: Figure Captain Briese – ©DDR Museum
The exhibition »The Baltic Sea – holiday destination, border region, place of longing« can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the DDR Museum from July 24, 2024 to March 15, 2025.
