Blog | DDR Museum

From the collection

10 objects from East Berlin – capital of the GDR

During the GDR era, East Berlin was the capital and centre of the country, while the western part was administered by the Allies. The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 divided the city for decades. We are showcasing ten objects from this period in this blog. Read more

From the collection

The ABC of the GDR

5 objects from the GDR with b – from Badusan to Boxer

In the blog series »The ABC of the GDR«, we present everyday objects from the GDR. In this post, we show five classics from the GDR that begin with the letter B. Read more

From the collection

White gold – porcelain in the GDR

Meissen, Kahla or Henneberg – porcelain from the GDR was very diverse. This blog article focuses on porcelain production in the GDR and shows some special porcelain objects from the collection of the DDR Museum. Read more

From the collection

Minimum exchange and welcome money in the GDR

In this blog post, we discuss the East German minimum exchange as well as West German welcome money and show thematic objects from the collection of the DDR Museum. Read more

From the collection

The ABC of the GDR

5 Objects beginning with A from the GDR – from Amiga to Ata

In the blog series »The ABC of the GDR« we present well-known and somewhat curious everyday objects from the bygone state. In this post, we would like to show you five classics from the GDR that begin with the letter A. Read more

Record land GDR

The nationally owned company »VEB Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin« was the only record manufacturer in the GDR and covered all genres. In this blog post, we would like to present the individual labels and some of their productions. Read more

ddr-museum-blog-weihnachten-thumbnail-fertig Klein.jpeg

From the collection

From the collection

10 Objects for a Christmas in the GDR

What did a Christmas in the GDR look like? In this blog post, we have selected ten objects from our collection to guide you through a typical Christmas day in the GDR. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

ME 830 condenser microphones from VEB Mikrofontechnik Gefell

On 20 September 2022, Frank Zander donated two wooden boxes containing a total of 8 ME 830 condenser microphones to the DDR Museum. The microphones were manufactured by VEB Mikrofontechnik Gefell. Read more

From the collection

From our Collection

10 Objects from a GDR Summer Holiday

Many families went to the Baltic Sea for their summer holiday. But many holiday spots were limited and, thus, very high in demand - even in the camping sites. Our collection contains many objects that might have accompanied a summer holiday. We present 10 of them in this blog post. Read more

From the collection

From the Collection

Sink bath

According to the guarantee certificate, this sink from VEB Starkstrom-Anlagenbau Magdeburg (VEM) dates from 1973 and is a real eye-catcher. In this article we show pictures and further information about this object. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

Our five most bizarre objects

The DDR Museum's collection now comprises more than 300,000 objects. Out of these objects around 13,000 can be viewed in our object database, which can be accessed free of charge online. Here we present five particularly bizarre pieces. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

Children’s sewing machines from VEB Piko

Children's sewing machines are the perfect way to introduce children to the art of sewing in a playful way. Smaller versions of conventional sewing machines are less complicated to use and allow children to have a lot of fun during their first sewing attempts. Read more

ddr-museum-blog-collage-einfluss-sowjetunion-sowjetische-produkte-und-kultur-1200x1200px.png

From the collection

GDR History

The Influence of Soviet Products and Culture on the GDR

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. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

»AKA ELECTRIC«: Household gadgets from the GDR

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. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

The Leipzig Trade Fair

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. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

DEFA film classics

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. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

»Color picture books« from DEFA production

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. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

The Berlin TV Tower

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. Read more

From the collection

From the collection

With distinction! Medals and decorations in the GDR

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. Read more

From the collection

History

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

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. Read more