Blog :: Page 3 :: DDR Museum

6 Nov 2023 by Alexandra de León

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.

From the collection

Minimum exchange and welcome money in the GDR

Collection

28 Jul 2023

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.

The ABC of the GDR

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

Collection

12 Jun 2023 by Katie McCarthy

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.

GDR history

Record land GDR

Collection

26 Apr 2023

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.

From the collection

10 Objects for a Christmas in the GDR

Collection

30 Nov 2022 by Alexandra de León

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.

From the collection

ME 830 condenser microphones from VEB Mikrofontechnik Gefell

Collection

16 Nov 2022

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.

From our Collection

10 Objects from a GDR Summer Holiday

Collection

21 Sep 2022

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.

From the Collection

Sink bath

Collection

2 Aug 2022 by Patrick Opitz

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.

From the collection

Our five most bizarre objects

Collection

29 Jun 2022

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.

From the collection

Children’s sewing machines from VEB Piko

Collection

13 Jun 2022

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.

GDR History

The Influence of Soviet Products and Culture on the GDR

Collection

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.

From the collection

»AKA ELECTRIC«: Household gadgets from the GDR

Collection

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.

From the collection

The Leipzig Trade Fair

Collection

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.

From the collection

DEFA film classics

Collection

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.

From the collection

»Color picture books« from DEFA production

Collection

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.

From the collection

The Berlin TV Tower

Collection

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.

From the collection

With distinction! Medals and decorations in the GDR

Collection

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.

History

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

Collection

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.

Collection

The Society for German-Soviet Friendship

Collection

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.

From the collection

»Kaffee Mix« and coffee crisis

Collection

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.

Online Tickets