In principle, the DDR Museum has no objection to journalists interviewing members of the public visiting the museum about their opinion of the museum. We would request that you first contact Vanessa Lemke (Press Secretary) before you visit to outline the scope of your project. Experience has shown that our visitors are happy to share their experiences and impressions of the exhibition; we would request, however, that you proceed with respect and not subject them to any form of pressure. We seek to ensure that our visitors enjoy their experience of the exhibition.

Yes. Please consider that the DDR Museum is usually well-visited and that the exhibition space can become very noisy. Filming requires the prior permission of our press office. The only condition attached to filming work is that our visitors are not obstructed in using the museum facilities. We will not seal off any areas, nor tolerate any attempt to do so.

Yes. Simply show your press accreditation. We will photograph your documents and issue you with a press card free of charge. We will issue one press card per press accreditation.

Yes, if the photographs are used solely for the purpose of reporting about the DDR Museum. All other forms of use require clearance from our press office.

A number of interview partners are available. Should your interest focus on the museum and its history, its background and its plans for the future, we would advise you to address your questions to the press secretary, Vanessa Lemke. Should you have any questions about the history of the DDR, our academic director Dr Stefan Wolle would be happy to answer your questions. Please contact Ms Lemke to arrange an interview.

You can join the DDR Museum press mailing list. Please write to presse@ddr-museum.de. You will receive all press releases and our regular newsletter.

You can arrange to film in the DDR Museum on weekdays before or after our opening hours: Mon to Fri 10.00 – 20.00. If you are reporting on the DDR Museum, we will issue a filming permit free-of-charge. It is also possible to use the museum for other purposes (e.g. as a backdrop for filming). In either case, please contact Ms Lemke.

The DDR Museum has little natural light; filming usually requires additional lighting. There are a number of power sockets in the museum which you can use.

Printable press images (300 dpi) are available for download on our website. These may be used free-of-charge for reporting purposes. The copyright is “DDR Museum, Berlin 2019”. Other uses for these pictures require the express consent of our Press Office. Please address your requests to presse@ddr-museum.de.

The DDR Museum was opened on 14th July 2006. The opening was attended by the Culture Senator and the Mayor of Berlin. The museum opened its doors to the public on 15th July 2006 and celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016.

Whilst visiting Berlin, the ethnologist Peter Kenzelmann wanted to visit an exhibition about the DDR. Unable to find such a museum, even after approaching the tourist board, he decided that he would have to open the museum himself. There were a range of museums focusing on a single topic – the Stasi Museum or the Memorial Centre for the Berlin Wall – but nothing which provided an overview of all the aspects, both positive and negative, of life in the former East Germany.

The majority of our artefacts are private donations. Some objects are on long-term loan; others such as the Trabant were purchased by the museum.

Our collection comprises some 300,000 objects stored off-site in a warehouse. Security considerations mean that the warehouse must remain closed to the public.

No. Security considerations mean that we cannot open our warehouse to the public. As such, it is not possible to film or photograph the warehouse. We are happy to provide press photographs of our warehouse in print quality.