New installation »Economy of Scarcity« at the DDR Museum

Berlin, 20 November 2025 – The new exhibition section »Economy of Scarcity« at the DDR Museum opens on 11 December 2025 and is dedicated to one of the most defining themes of everyday life in the GDR. Spanning almost ten metres, the installation features around 600 exhibits showcasing the diverse world of goods in socialist society. Food, toys, household appliances and consumer electronics are on display, complemented by a 3.5-metre-wide media installation that offers visitors direct insight into key areas of consumption.

The exhibition highlights how state-subsidised prices, regular shortages and regional differences shaped everyday life. At the same time, it shows how a network of relationships, privileges and the shadow currency, the West German Deutschmark, developed. Original objects from the population, including the impressive shortage diary, vividly illustrate how people responded to shortages with creativity and improvisation.

Facts

What: Opening new installation »Economy of Scarcity«

When: 11 December

Where: DDR Museum, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1, 10178 Berlin

Contact

Simone Uthleb, Spokes Person, under +49 30 847 123 7-47 or press@ddr-museum.de