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Shops and department stores in the GDR

»Centrum Warenhaus« and »Konsument«

25 Oct 2021
In the 1960s, the department store chains »Konsument« and »Centrum Warenhaus« were established in the GDR. The two department stores were intended to satisfy the changing consumer needs of the population. Here we show you thematic objects from our collection.
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From the collection

DEFA film classics

20 Oct 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
Over the years, the Deutsche Film AG, DEFA for short, has created numerous film classics. In this article we present a few selected films and show the accompanying film booklets from our collection.
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From the collection

»Color picture books« from DEFA production

1 Oct 2021 by Melanie Alperstaedt
They are almost rarities of the GDR era: the coloured DEFA picture books. Also known as slide roll films, the picture books were widely distributed in East German homes from the 1950s to the end of the 1970s.
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From the collection

The Berlin TV Tower

1 Oct 2021 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke
At 368 metres, it is still the tallest building in Germany: the Berlin TV Tower. In this blog post, we present the history of this world-famous building, which was opened in the capital of the GDR on 3 October 1969, as well as objects from our collection on the subject.
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From the collection

With distinction! Medals and decorations in the GDR

7 Sep 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
There was no stinginess with decorations and medals in the GDR. In fact, every field of society had its own awards. We present a small selection in this article.
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History

Reaching for the Stars: The »Interkosmos« Programme of the Eastern Bloc

24 Aug 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The »Interkosmos« programme of the then Soviet Union was intended to advance scientific research vis-à-vis the USA and also made it possible for other nations to fly into space. Sigmund Jähn was the first German to fly into space.
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Collection

The Society for German-Soviet Friendship

27 Jul 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The Society for German-Soviet Friendship (DSF) was the second largest mass organisation in the GDR and was intended to counteract the anti-Soviet attitude of the population after the end of the war. The DSF was active in cultural work with numerous activities.
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From the collection

»Kaffee Mix« and coffee crisis

26 Jul 2021
One of the most sensational products of the GDR was the »Kaffee Mix«, also called »Erich's Krönung«. In this blog post, we take a closer look at the history of coffee in the GDR.
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From the collection

Alcohol in the GDR

22 Jul 2021
In the GDR, people liked to drink a lot. Alcohol was not in short supply, and the shelves in the shops were well stocked. Today, the bottles are piled up in the collection of the DDR Museum.
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From the collection

On the way to world class – the 1-megabit memory chip

13 Jul 2021 by Sören Marotz
The GDR missed the way to become a world leader in memory chip technology. In 1988, the 1-megabit microchip »U61000« was presented to the Politburo – while the West's 4-megabit chip was already in development.
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Travelling

Baltic Sea Island Rügen

6 Jul 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The Baltic Sea island of Rügen is known for its long and fine sandy beaches and is the largest island in Germany. The sights attract many holidaymakers every year.
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From the Collection

The magazine »FF Dabei«, a popular companion for the TV programme

10 Feb 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The official television programme in the GDR was very limited during its existence. Due to the limited range of media, there was also only one programme guide. Until 1969 it was called »Funk und Fernsehen der DDR« (FF) and was then renamed »FF dabei«.
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From the collection

Civilian travel with Deutsche Lufthansa and Interflug

4 Feb 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
On 4 February 1956, Deutsche Lufthansa opened its scheduled flight operations on the route between East Berlin and Warsaw. Two years later, the airline Interflug was founded. Our collection contains numerous objects from the 33 years of Interflug.
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From the collection

Creative building with Formo and PEBE bricks

24 Jan 2021 by Jörn Kleinhardt
Creative building and corresponding system toys have always inspired many children. While in the West one could indulge one's play instinct with Playmobil and LEGO, in the DDR there were also two established building systems with PEBE and Formo. The original idea of plug-in bricks goes back to the anchor bricks developed in Rudolstadt (Thuringia) in the 19th century.
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Ask Dr. Wolle

Storming the Stasi: Memories of 15 January 1990

15 Jan 2021 by Dr. Stefan Wolle
At the turn of the year 1989/90, the DDR was in a strange state of suspense. The Wall had been open for eight weeks. The old order was dissolving, a new order did not yet exist. The weightlessness of free fall prevailed. It was only a question of time when the impact would occur.
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From the Museum

0-euro note: 30 Years German Unity

11 Oct 2020 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke
In September 2020, on occasion of the 30th anniversary of German Unity, the DDR Museum released the new 0-euro note. It is available in the museum shop.
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From the Collection

Pictorial: »GDR in Objects 1949-1990. Leisure, Culture, Travel«

29 Sep 2020 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke
With the second volume of the trilogy »GDR in Objects 1949-1990«, the DDR Museum gives a unique insight into the world's largest museum DDR collection.
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DDR in Objects 1949-1989

The Art Directors' 11 Favourites of the Collection Volume I

23 Sep 2020 by Joris Buiks
Art director Joris Buiks presents his eleven personal favourite objects from the eleven chapters of our first collection volume »GDR in Objects 1949-1990. Daily Life, Home, Consumption«.
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From the Collection

10 GDR Objects from Dresden

8 Sep 2020 by Frank Meißner
Dresden was one of the economic and cultural centres of the GDR. The collection of the DDR Museum contains numerous objects that reflect the historical development of Dresden. Ten of them are presented in this article.
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Places of the GDR

Berlin State Opera Staatsoper Unter den Linden

1 Sep 2020 by Maximilian Schönbeck
Built in 1742, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden enjoys great popularity today and is one of the world's leading opera ensembles. But what exactly makes the opera so special and what role did it play in the GDR?
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