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marian@ich.ms
In its new special exhibition, the DDR Museum sheds light on the importance of the Baltic Sea coast for the inhabitants of the GDR. "The Baltic Sea - holiday destination, border area, place of longing" shows the many facets of this special place as a holiday paradise and interface of the Cold War.
Image gallery
Sandburg am Strand von Ückeritz auf Usedom, 1969
Nina Hagen - Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen, 1974
25. Arbeiterkonferenz der Ostseeländer, 1984
The Baltic Sea: Naturally, the first associations revolve around holidays, the colourful beach life and, of course, the legendary nude beaches.
Anyone who grew up in the GDR has memories of it, knows how to talk about it and still has photos in their wardrobe. Together with SUPERillu, the DDR Museum organised a competition to find the most beautiful Baltic Sea sandcastle. There were numerous entries with many memories of the photos submitted.
Our prize-winner's sandcastle was modelled and is on display in the exhibition showcase.
The exhibition also presents travel souvenirs and children's books that tell of longing, wanderlust and a thirst for adventure, but whose destinations had to remain a dream for the vast majority of GDR citizens.
Prohibition signs point out that the coast was also a border area.
It was forbidden to go on the beach at night and in some places the coast was searched with floodlights to prevent escape attempts. The Baltic coast was also a Cold War interface between the two military blocs. Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bombers thundered over the idyllic beaches on patrol flights. The DDR Museum presents an original pilot's suit with helmet as well as the flight logbook and military map from the personal collection of a Sukhoi Su-22 pilot of the NVA.
Opening:
- Wednesday, 24 July 2024, 6 pm in the conference room of the DDR Museum
At the exhibition opening, Dr Jan-Hinnerk Antons from Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg, will talk about what the Baltic Sea meant to GDR citizens.
