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GDR history

The currency of the GDR over time

23 Jun 2016 by Jörn Kleinhardt
With the currency reform in the three western occupation zones in 1948, it also became necessary to introduce their own means of payment in the Soviet occupation zone, on whose territory the German Democratic Republic was founded in 1949. The article explains and shows the different currencies in the GDR until its end in 1990.
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Collection

Big objects in front of the lens

15 Jun 2016 by Admin
The collection department of the DDR Museum now owns a modern set for photographing big objects.
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Collection

The magazine "Sputnik" as a paper-based ambassador of the USSR

8 Jun 2016 by Admin
The Soviet magazine "Sputnik" (Russian for companion) has been published by the state-owned news agency "Nowosti" since January 1967. It was designed as a digest of the Soviet press and was not only adressed to Russians but also to readers from other socialist and western foreign countries.
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DDR History

»Sputnik« magazine as a journalistic ambassador of the USSR

2 Jun 2016 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The thematically diverse Soviet magazine »Sputnik« was first published in 1967 and was available in both the DDR and the Federal Republic. On 18 November 1988, however, the DDR government imposed a distribution stop.
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Behind the Scenes

Not only work for the curators: How do I plan an exhibition?

1 Jun 2016 by Admin
To design an exhibition in a museum is a highly complex process. Many different staff members are involved – the maintenance man, colleagues who are working at the cashier's desk, as well as the curators. The DDR Museum is currently working on a new part of its permanent exhibition – find out more about it here. In the following text I would like to give you a little insight into what it takes to plan a new exhibition!
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News

News from the Construction Site

25 May 2016 by Admin
The preparations for our new permanent exhibition are coming along with high speed. Already since the beginning of 2016, a new exhibition space is being realized within our museum. Additionally to the already existing two parts of our permanent exhibition, a third exhibition part will offer even more information for our visitors about everyday life in the GDR.
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Collection

"Original Wolfen" magnetic tape and film production in the GDR

18 May 2016 by Admin
Every technology enthusiast in the GDR was well accustomed with the products of the company ORWO. No wonder: The company used to have the monopoly on the production of chemical data mediums in the GDR. The history of the production site, Wolfen, however, is only familiar to few.
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Collection

Having an eye on finances: 8 books of household accounts from a family in Dresden

11 May 2016 by Admin
Nowadays there's an app for that. In the GDR, on the other hand, people kept an eye on their receipts and expenditures with the help of a meticulously kept book of household accounts. It was a proper housewife's duty to keep track of what amount of money was spent for what and when. The DDR Museum was recently donated a total of 8 books of household accounts from a family from Dresden, starting on January 1st in 1963 and ending on January 3rd in 1993. Learn more about these highly interesting historical documents in the following text!
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Collection

The cable remote controlled tank model of the »T-62«

28 Apr 2016 by Vanessa Jasmin Lemke
The DDR offered a wide range of toys that often contained an educational aspect in addition to the playful aspect. Particularly included are toys that were intended to familiarise boys in particular with their later service in the army, such as the toy tank »T-62«.
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Review

Cultural history in the GDR

27 Apr 2016 by Admin
We review "Kulturgeschichte der DDR. Ein Überblick, Erfurt 2014." by Frank Hoffmann.
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Collection

The Thirst Quencher for work at high temperatures: Contratherm – Heat Drink

20 Apr 2016 by Admin
The collection of the DDR Museum is documenting everyday life in the GDR and therefore consists of different objects belonging to all sorts of topics. Every day, our colleagues at the collection department are dealing with objects and their interesting stories and sometimes unusual original purposes. One of them is the sealed glass bottle “Contratherm - Heat Drink”, containing a bright pink liquid. Get to know the interesting background story in the following text!
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Collection

Reaching to the stars with the model kit “Vostok-1”

13 Apr 2016 by Dr. Stefan Wolle
On April 12 in 1961 at 7:07am CET, Juri Gagarin was the first human being to fly into space with the “Vostok-1”, where he orbited the earth within 108 minutes. This event represented a high success for all Eastern bloc countries which were in constant competition with the United States of America. Gagarin started in the Soviet place of Kosmodrom Baikonur, the biggest Soviet space mission launch center in southern Kasachstan.
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Relics of the DDR

Part V: Traffic Signs – The Ampelmännchen

6 Apr 2016 by Admin
Until this day, the East-German Ampelmännchen remains highly popular, appearing more likable and dynamic than its West-German counterpart. It clearly signals when to cross the street and when to wait for the traffic to pass.
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What remains of the GDR?

The East German traffic light man

6 Apr 2016
The East German traffic light man looks back on an eventful part of history. It was invented by Karl Peglau in 1961 and adorned the streets of the GDR from 1969. After reunification, its existence was quickly put under threat. But the tide turned and the East German traffic light man became a cult brand.
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Tourism in the DDR

Sofia /Bulgaria

30 Mar 2016 by Admin
Romantic mountain and forest landscapes, long beaches at the Black Sea, picturesque villages – those were the things luring numerous citizens of the GDR to the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. In today’s text I will deal with Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, located in the western part of the country. This is how a leave day could have been structured back then.
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From the collection

»​​​​​​​Armeerundschau« magazine

17 Mar 2016 by Jörn Kleinhardt
The DDR's military publishing house was responsible for the publication of numerous specialist books with a military-technical, military-historical and military-scientific context. The publisher's portfolio also included the monthly magazine »​​​​​​​Armeerundschau«​​​​​​​.
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From the collection

The House Book in the GDR

16 Mar 2016
In the German Democratic Republic, keeping a house book was required by the legal registration ordinance. But what did that mean exactly? What did such a book look like? Who entered what in it? And what was it good for? These are all questions that we will get to the bottom of in this collection blog. 
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Collaboration

The DDR Museum has started a cooperation with the HTW Berlin

9 Mar 2016 by Admin
The DDR Museum has a new cooperation partner: We are happy to announce that we will be realizing projects along with the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, which is a great opportunity to contribute to the connection between cultural institutions and educational establishments in Berlin!
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Collection

Globetrotters back home – Objects are returning into our collection

17 Feb 2016 by Admin
In October 2015, the DDR Museum had the chance to support the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Seoul with a special exhibition by lending a number of objects. The exhibit with the title “Implications of German Reunification for Korean Unification” was on display in three rooms and was greeted with great interest by the Korean visitors.
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Behind the scenes

An eye on the detail – The daily preparations for the day at the museum

10 Feb 2016 by Admin
The doors of the DDR Museum are opened every day at 10am sharp for our visitors. But before the museum officially greets its guests, a number of diligent colleagues have already been at work for some time in order to prepare the exhibition for the numerous visitors. One of them is our colleague who throws a scrutinizing eye on every corner and every single exhibition element each morning.
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