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GDR History

The Influence of Soviet Products and Culture on the GDR

8 Apr 2022 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The GDR emerged from the Soviet occupation zone in 1949 and had been closely related to and dependent on the »Big Brother« for the 40 years of its existence. So it is not surprising that everyday life and culture were influenced by Russian products. We present selected objects from our collection.
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From the collection

»AKA ELECTRIC«: Household gadgets from the GDR

21 Mar 2022
To this day, many people are familiar with the various products of »AKA ELECTRIC« and even still use them. Smaller brands and companies were gathered under the umbrella brand until the end of the GDR. We show a selection of household gadgets from the collection of the DDR Museum.
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From the Collection

Fashion Magazine »Sibylle« – the Vogue of the GDR

11 Mar 2022
»Sibylle« was THE magazine for fashion and culture in the GDR and always quickly out of print. The magazine's standards were high-quality fashion photography, unique cuts including patterns and sophisticated texts. A must for fashion-conscious and culturally interested people. We present the magazine and show copies from our collection.
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History

Karl Marx and his influence in the GDR

10 Mar 2022 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The philosopher and communist theorist Karl Marx (1818-1883) died long before the founding of the GDR, but his theses and ideas significantly influenced the socialist state as well as its ideology. This issue of the collection blog focuses on Marx's work and his impact on the GDR.
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From the collection

The Leipzig Trade Fair

4 Mar 2022
The Leipzig Trade Fair is far older than the GDR could ever become. In GDR times, it took place annually in spring and autumn and put the Saxon city in a state of excitement. We show you an excerpt of the objects that promoted the fair location and the fair itself.
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Relics of the GDR

»Sandman, dear Sandman...«

17 Nov 2021 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke
The Sandman is the evening companion of many children before bedtime. Since 1959, he has been taking them on adventures around the world and to faraway galaxies. The little man is one of the GDR inventions that continue to delight young and old to this day.
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From the Museum

The »Bathroom« in the DDR Museum

12 Nov 2021 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke
Since 2016, visitors to the DDR Museum can have a look at an originally furnished prefabricated GDR flat of the type »WBS 70«. These flats promised great comfort in contrast to the old buildings. Living in the »Platte« from the 1970s onwards therefore also included having one's own bathroom, which can be seen recreated in the DDR Museum.
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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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