Places of East Germany

The DDR Museum's film series »Orte Ost« (Places of East Germany) focuses on East German locations, topics and events whose history continues to have an impact today. Historian Dr. Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk, scientific advisor to the DDR Museum and protagonist of the series, sets out to search for traces of the past in places of remembrance and places of the future, combining historical context with current developments. The episodes will be released on the DDR Museum's YouTube channel starting in January 2026.

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Places of East Germany | 27 Apr 2026

The Marzahn prefab housing estate – Housing of the future

This episode of the series »Places of East Germany« takes us to the new housing development in Berlin’s Marzahn-Hellersdorf district. Dr. Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk explores how the GDR sought to resolve the housing crisis. Read more
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Orte Ost | 21 Apr 2026

The Central Committee of the SED – The seat of power in the GDR

This episode of »Places of East Germany« explores the former SED Central Committee in East Berlin, where key decisions shaped everyday life in the GDR. Read more
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Places of East Germany | 23 Mar 2026

Live from Nalepastrasse – GDR Radio

The Nalepastraße Broadcasting Centre, once the hub of East German radio, stands on the Spree in Oberschöneweide. The latest episode of »Places of East Germany« explores its role between propaganda and programming diversity. Read more
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Places of East Germany | 2 Mar 2026

Keibelstraße – Detention in the heart of Berlin

The People's Police remand centre was located in Keibelstraße in the heart of Berlin. The episode of »Places of East Berlin« shows its role in everyday life in the GDR and asks what prisons tell us about the difference between democracy and dictatorship. Read more
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Places of East Germany | 16 Feb 2026

The GDR State Council – Architecture of Power

Not far from the DDR Museum stands the former State Council building of the GDR. The episode of »Places of East Germany« shows how the building came to be the representative centre of power of the SED and how architecture was deliberately used for political staging. Read more
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Places of East Germany | 2 Feb 2026

Ernst Thälmann – The myth behind the monument

The controversial Ernst Thälmann monument stands in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg. The new episode of »Places of East Germany« looks at the contradictory biography of the KPD chairman and asks how such monuments should be dealt with today. Read more
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Places of East Germany | 19 Jan 2026

Oberschöneweide – The Silikon Valley of the East?

Around 1900, Oberschöneweide was known as the »Chicago on the Spree.« The pilot episode of »Places of East Germany« traces its transformation from a major GDR industrial centre to a place of remembrance and new prospects today. Read more