DDR-Museum

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'Surprisingly Fun', 'Quirky', 'A Must See', and 'A Unique Perspective' are some expressions used to characterize the DDR Museum. This museum bills itself ‘one of the most interactive museums in the world’.

One element that makes the DDR museum unique is that it’s the only museum in Berlin that is privately rather than state funded.

What makes it even less typical of other museums is the overall theme. This is not only an art museum, or science museum, or a history museum. It is a museum of everyday life in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) while it was still part of the Soviet occupation.

Since opening in 2006, the DDR Museum became an overnight success and was nominated for a European Museum of the Year Award in both 2008 and 2012.

The DDR museum aims to deal with the question of what everyday life was like for the East German citizens who were cut off from the outside world by barbed wire, guard towers, and the Berlin Wall. Also, what was it like to live under constant surveillance?

Three themed areas: Public LIfe, State and Ideology, and Life in a Tower Block expands into 47 sub-topics inside the 1000 m2 permanent exhibition.

Popular exhibits include a simulated drive in an original Trabant P601 automobile, an authentic reconstruction of a five-room flat in a high-rise tower block, numerous interactive games suitable for young and old alike, the monumental fresco “In Praise of Communism”, a prison cell and a Socialist Unity Party conference table in the boardroom with a touchscreen.

The interactive, hands-on nature of the museum makes this a fun, memorable, and educational experience for all age groups.

Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Yes

DDR-Museum Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays

Monday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Address: Vera Britain Ufer, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany

Phone: 030 847123730

Official Website: DDR-Museum

DDR-Museum Reviews

Rated 4.3 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating A small musuem but packed with information. Very interactive and is a great place for children to understand how life must have been like in East Berlin. Was quite busy so visiting first thing might be a good idea.
Anthony Fulcher - in the last week

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5 Star Rating Fascinating and immersive experience of life in East Berlin during the Cold War. It provides a close look at how surveillance and pseudo-communism operated under the guise of equal rights. The exhibits are interactive and well-curated, making it easy to understand the daily lives of East Berliners and the control they lived under. I found it both educational and engaging, and it gave me a deeper appreciation for this period of history. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Cold War era or in general German history!
Bithy Soptorshi - a month ago

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5 Star Rating Great time in it, you can spend a lot of time inside, recommend speeding up the history part if you are short on time, as the apartments from DDR in the end are not to miss!
Viktor Marčeta - in the last week

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4 Star Rating Personally I am not too interested in history as such, but especially when coming from Europe, one can simply not look away from or deny the impact WWII has had on primarily Europe but certainly also the rest of the world. This museum gives a very unique and interesting look behind the DDR curtains and even a not-too-history-interested-guy like me can learn something here, without falling asleep... 👍
Kim Allerslev - 4 months ago

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5 Star Rating We visited late in the afternoon on Monday and it wasn't busy which was nice. There are lockers, just have a euro coin with you. There is a lot to read and see,we really enjoyed the visit and getting to learn about the daily life in Berlin.
Zane K - 2 weeks ago

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Directions

How to get to DDR-Museum by U-Bahn, S-Bahn or MetroTram

Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn or MetroTram Line(s): S3, S5, S7, S9, U2, U5, U8
Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn or MetroTram Station(s): S Hackescher Markt, U Alexanderplatz

Hackescher Markt on the S-Bahn is about a 7 minute walk to the museum. Alexanderplatz ,served by 3 U-Bahn lines, is about a 10 minute walk to the museum. Alternatively, take a tram to the Spandauer Straße/Marienkirche stop – the M4, M5 and M6 lines bring you almost to the entrance.