Places of the East

The DDR Museum's film series »Orte Ost« (Places of the East) 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.

ddr-museum-orteost-friedrichshafen.jpg
Places of the East | 1 Oct 2026

Friedrichshagen – Living in the Countryside by Lake Müggelsee

This episode of the »Places of the East« series takes us to Friedrichshagen on Lake Müggelsee and explores how its distinctive residential setting shaped the area in the GDR and how it has changed since 1989. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-ferienlager-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 10 Sept 2026

Holiday camps in the GDR – From company holiday camps to the Pioneer Republic

This episode of the »Places of the East« series takes us to former holiday camps in the GDR and shows how company holiday camps and Pioneer camps shaped everyday life during the holidays. Read more
ddr-museum-dr-ilko-sascha-kowalczuk-mauer-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 13 Aug 2026

Divided City – The Berlin Wall and the Division of Berlin in 1961

To mark the 65th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall, »Places of the East« explores the building of the Wall, the GDR border regime and the vanished village of Osdorf. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-ostsee-teaser-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 9 Jul 2026

Holiday on the Baltic Sea – Warnemünde and the Hotel Neptun

How did the Baltic Sea become the GDR's ultimate holiday destination? The new episode of »Places of the East« tells the story of Warnemünde and the legendary Hotel Neptun. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-17juni-gommern-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 17 Jun 2026

The Popular Uprising in the GDR – 17 June 1953 in Gommern

The latest episode of the series »Places of the East« takes viewers to Gommern, where the popular uprising of 17 June 1953 illustrates resistance to SED rule. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-prenzlauer-berg-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 18 May 2026

Prenzlauer Berg – Living in an Older Building

This episode of the series »Places of the East« takes viewers to Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg and explores its transformation from a run-down GDR neighbourhood of period buildings into a symbol of gentrification. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-thumb-marzahn-plattenbausiedlung-muehle.jpg
Places of the East | 27 Apr 2026

The Marzahn prefab housing estate – Housing of the future

This episode of the series »Places of the East« 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
ddr-museum-orte-ost-funkhaus-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 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 the East« explores its role between propaganda and programming diversity. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-keibelstrasse-thumb (1).jpg
Places of the East | 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 the East« shows its role in everyday life in the GDR and asks what prisons tell us about the difference between democracy and dictatorship. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-staatsrat-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 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 the East« 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
ddr-museum-orte-ost-ernst-thaelmann-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 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 the East« looks at the contradictory biography of the KPD chairman and asks how such monuments should be dealt with today. Read more
ddr-museum-orte-ost-osw-thumb.jpg
Places of the East | 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 the East« traces its transformation from a major GDR industrial centre to a place of remembrance and new prospects today. Read more