Blog :: DDR Museum

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.

From the collection

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

Collection

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.

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«.

From the collection

Civilian travel with Deutsche Lufthansa and Interflug

Collection

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.

From the collection

Creative building with Formo and PEBE bricks

Collection

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.

From the Collection

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

Collection

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.

DDR in Objects 1949-1989

The Art Directors' 11 Favourites of the Collection Volume I

Collection

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«.

From the Collection

10 GDR Objects from Dresden

Collection

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.

GDR in Objects 1949-1990

The Head of Collections' 11 Favourites of the Collection Volume I

Collection

17 Aug 2020 by Admin

In this article, the head of collections Jörn Kleinhardt presents his eleven personal favourites from the eleven chapters of the first collection volume »GDR in Objects 1949-1990. Daily Life, Home, Consumption«.

From the collection

The Final Division of Berlin – The Erection of the Wall on 13 August 1961

Collection

13 Aug 2020 by Jörn Kleinhardt

Two months before the Wall was erected, Walter Ulbricht denied the intention to build a Wall at a press conference. On the night of 12-13 August 1961, construction of the Wall began. In this article we show thematically appropriate objects from our collection.

GDR mass organisation

The Society for Sport and Technology

6 Aug 2020 by Jörn Kleinhardt

What began in 1952 as a mass organisation for the leisure activities of young people increasingly developed in a paramilitary direction. From the mid-1970s, the Society for Sport and Technology (GST) called itself the »socialist military organisation of the GDR« and took on the military education of adolescents.

From the Collection

Pictorial: »DDR in Objects 1949-1990. Daily Life, Home, Consumption«

Collection

16 Jul 2020 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke

With the first volume of the trilogy »GDR in Objects 1949-1990« the DDR Museum gives a unique insight into the world's largest museum DDR collection.

Object of the Month

Wooden Toy Truck

Collection

18 Mar 2020 by Maria Bartholomäus

The object of the month March/April 2020 is the wooden toy truck by the PGH »Friedrich Fröbel« Werdau. The wooden toy appeals by its plain and elegant design as well as its high stability and durability.

Object of the Month

Board Game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek«

23 Oct 2019 by Admin

The object of the month is the board game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek« and is based on the well-known marionettes Spejbl and Hurvinek of the Czech puppeteer Josef Skupa.

From the collection

Barracked People's Police and NVA

Collection

27 Sep 2019 by Jörn Kleinhardt

Uniforms, steel helmets, brochures, certificates and pocket calendars are just a few of the many objects from the collection of the DDR Museum that tell the story of the Barracked People's Police (KVP) and its successor, the National People's Army (NVA). Head of collection Jörn Kleinhardt uses historical artefacts to give an overview of the NVA from the beginning to the end of the DDR.

Günter Höhne writes

DDR-Design: Cool Table Fans

19 Sep 2019 by Admin

The journalist and expert for DDR product design Günter Höhne writes for the blog DDR Museum. In this article he is taking a closer look at the design of table fans in the DDR.

Object of the Month

Magazine „UdSSR im Bau“ / „Sowjetunion“

21 Aug 2019 by Admin

The object of the month August is the 1930 by Maxim Gorky established magazine “UdSSR im Bau” which, in 1950, was renamed “Sowjetunion“. Well preserved issues are rare and constitute a highly informative historical primary source.

Object of the month

Fort Laramie from the VEB Holzspielwaren Steinach

Collection

14 Jun 2019 by Admin

With the Fort Laramie, children could live out their passion that arose with the film adaptation of the Karl May novels in the 60s. Hobby groups of the so-called Indianistik were officially active already from the mid-50s.

Object of the Month

Portable TV “Combi-Vision 310”

22 May 2019 by Admin

The portable television “Combi-Vision 310” wasn't the first of its kind. After the K67 never made it into large-scale production, the TV “Combi-Vision 310” filled a market gap in the DDR.

Object of the Month

Ceramic Beer Mug – Tierpark Berlin

11 Feb 2019 by Admin

Every month we are introducing a new object of the month. The object of February is a ceramic beer mug from the Tierpark Berlin. A brief history of the Tierpark Berlin is presented by Nina Krasemann.

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