This popular, award-winning museum gives visitors a true taste of everyday life in socialist-era East Germany. DDR stands for “Deutsche Demokratische Republik” (known as the German Democratic Republic or GDR in English).
There is plenty to explore including everyday artefacts, such as magazines, canned food, government-issue kitchen and living room layouts, typewriters and board games. Almost everything is interactive – you can pull out drawers, explore cupboards and sit back to watch some Cold War-era TV.
Near the entrance you can even sit inside one of East Germany’s proudest creations – the Trabant. Known for being a noisy little car, this is one of three million produced in the country. Get into the driver’s seat and take it for a spin around the streets of East Germany (without ever leaving the museum).
The museum also goes beyond the domesticated life of East Berliners, looking at the darker side of the country – the political realities of the time. Taking a seat inside the recreation of an interrogation room used by the Stasi (the East German secret police) is guaranteed to send a chill up your spine. Compare the second car in the museum, a luxurious Volvo used by the top-ranking members of the GDR government, to the Trabant for a real insight into the lack of equality in the country. You can also look at children’s books, newspapers and TV to get a real sense of the propaganda used at the time.
Although the museum is small, there’s plenty to do, so allow half a day for your visit. Due to the nature of the museum, it can get crowded so you might have to wait your turn to try out some of the exhibits. All that interacting with exhibitions can be hungry work, so you'll be pleased to know the museum has a restaurant next door serving traditional German food.
The DDR Museum is directly opposite the Berliner Dom on Museum Island by the canal, and can be accessed by S-Bahn, U-Bahn, bus, tram and canal boat.
