Blog

Topic filter

Collection

Progress-Filmprogramm - little booklets for big movies

7 Oct 2015 by Admin
The film distribution company Progress, founded in 1950, had a monopoly in the GDR and brought all movies into the movie theaters, regardless of the fact whether they were domestic or international productions.
Read more

Education program

GDR Guide – the exhibition catalogue of the DDR Museum

30 Sep 2015 by Janine Henschel
The GDR Guide offers a glimpse into the life of a bygone state along 160 pages. 42 chapters, more than 200 photographs and comprehensive information material depict everyday life in the GDR in a colorful and detailed way.
Read more

Event

Was this the Wende that we wanted?

23 Sep 2015 by Melanie Alperstaedt
During our event yesterday evening the focus was set not so much on a book, but rather on a question: Did the different hopes and expectations of 1989 come true? This interesting question was asked by author and journalist Burga Kalinowski and directed to popular people as well as unknown personalities, who nonetheless have one thing in common: They used to live in the GDR and were confronted with heavy changes of their everyday lives in 1989.
Read more

Collection

The West in the boob tube

16 Sep 2015 by Admin
The collection of the DDR Museum has grown again recently. The object concerned is a self-made converter for the reception of the TV channels ARD and ZDF – programs from West Germany and therefore not officially forbidden for GDR citizens, but nevertheless programs only minimally tolerated by the government.
Read more

Happy cooking!

Potato soup Berlin style

9 Sep 2015 by Janine Henschel
Back then, potato soup was a very popular dish, because it was fast and simple to make. Furthermore, all the ingredients for this soup were always available and affordable. Today, we would like to introduce a recipe from the times of the GDR. Of course there were also many more variations which surely also were quite delicious. Just try them!
Read more

Collection

East-West relationships between minimum exchange and welcome money

8 Sep 2015 by Admin
Regarding the inner-German tourist travel with all its aspects, one will inevitably come across the East-German „minimum exchange“ and the West-German „welcome money“. But what do these terms exactly mean and what were their consequences for the people?
Read more

Events

Theo Tintenklecks, spook at the museum and many visitors at the Long Night of Museums

2 Sep 2015 by Admin
Last Saturday, many things were going on at the DDR Museum late at night: On the occasion of the 35th Long Night of Museums in Berlin theDDR Museum opened its gates between 6pm and 2am, of course along with an interesting program for our guests!
Read more

Event

GDR and no ending? Discussion with Jens Schöne and Stefan Wolle

19 Aug 2015 by Melanie Alperstaedt
Yesterday evening our guest was historian Jens Schöne, who just published his newest work „Die DDR. Eine Geschichte des Arbeiter- und Bauernstaates“ ("The GDR. A history of the state of workers and peasants") at the Berlin Story publishing company, which offers an overall view of the GDR era. The book is also available in English („The GDR“), which unfortunately is still a rare fact considering the existing literature about the GDR. The book is very popular in our museum store, especially the English version is highly demanded by our interested international visitors.
Read more

Behind the scenes

What you always wanted to know about the DDR Museum …

12 Aug 2015 by Admin
Today we will answer five interesting questions about the DDR Museum so you can get to know our institution a little better!
Read more

Event

Playing History – Games as a means for the transport of knowledge

5 Aug 2015 by Admin
There have always been games, in every region of the world as well as within every cultural group – even outside of the nursery. Especially complex parlor games which demand logic, creativity and endurance, are highly popular among the youth as well as adults. Among them are Michael Geithner, Social Media Manager at the DDR Museum Berlin and Martin Thiele, a scientist in the field of media from Berlin. The two game researchers and developers gave a talk about imitated games during the GDR and the fascination about this cultural phenomenon at the visitor centre of the DDR Museum.
Read more

Behind the scenes

And Action – Camera rolling! Film shooting at the museum depot

29 Jul 2015 by Admin
How revealing was the German Democratic Republic? Were East-Germans more advanced in arithmetics than people living in Western Germany? Even after a visit to a museum the one or other question might be left unanswered and current political developments and events might provoke interesting discussions as well.
Read more

Collection

Summer Camp in the GDR

22 Jul 2015 by Admin
Holiday time is summer camp time! This slogan was true for many children who grew up in the German Democratic Republic. And, truly, the small republic  established a great number of summer camps. The youth getaways were divided into pioneer's camps („Pionierferienlager“) and company camps („Betriebsferienlager“) and were spread all over the country. In the year 1989 alone there were 49 pioneer's camps within the GDR, as well as hundreds of additional company camps.
Read more

Border

The Ostsee frontier tower in Külungsborn - a place to remember the German Division.

17 Jun 2015 by Admin
A lot of Germans still go to the Ostsee and especially the city Kühlungsborn is very popular. You can see beach chairs and tourists walking at the promenade, which looks very different in comparison with what you could see at the time between 1961 and 1968.
Read more

Collection

“I love – I love all – all humans” – Erich Mielke Biography

11 Jun 2015 by Admin
On the 13th November 1989, a few days after the opening of the wall, Erich Mielke gave his first speech at the Volkskammer at the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic). His words: “I love – I love all – all people/humans – Well, I love – I still stand up for it” have been often quoted and give deep insight into the mind of the 82 year – old man. How could this man serve for more than three decades as a Minister of State Security and give a significant imprinting to the apparatus?
Read more

Collection

Fashion in the GDR – Fashion – Do it yourself

3 Jun 2015 by Admin
If you think about fashion in the GDR, do you see colors and nice feminine looks? Or do you see grey, shapeless clothes? No matter what you think, both thoughts are right. In the GDR you could find the one and the other.
Read more

Happy cooking!

GDR birthday cake for children

27 May 2015 by Janine Henschel
You don’t necessarily have to buy a birthday cake in order that your child is glad. With less effort you can conjure a delicate and colorful cake for the birthday table – and you can let your child assist at the preparation. We tell you how it works: GDR birthday cake for children
Read more

Tip

GHDI: German History in Documents and Images

20 May 2015 by Admin
It is difficult to come by original documents and images about the German history, especially for people from foreign countries. Because of this difficulty the German Historical Institute in Washington D.C. initiated an interesting project.
Read more

Border

The Memorial Point Alpha between Geisa/Rasdorf

18 May 2015 by Admin
The Point Alpha Memorial is located along the former inner-German border, between Geisa/Thuring and Rasdorf/Hesse, on a surface of almost 100,000 square meters. It is an interesting historical place where visitors can experience how life was during the time of the wall.
Read more

To Recook

Grilled broiler – GDR Recipe

15 May 2015 by Janine Henschel
Goldbroiler or roast chicken? In the GDR, broiler was widespread and popular. In this GDR recipe, we present the grilled broiler with French fries and mixed vegetables.
Read more

Guided Tour

The Berlin Wall Tour

13 May 2015 by Janine Henschel
Of course: In the museum you can participate in numerous guided tours through the exhibition. But, did you know, that we offer combined tours and thematic city tours, too? During the 2 hour guided tour “The Berlin Wall” you proceed to the traces of the death strip between East and West Berlin from the Bornholmer Straße to the Bernauer Straße.
Read more

Online Tickets