The GDR ‘Time Travel’ Museum, Radebeul, near Dresden
‘Ostalgie’ is a term that most of us in the UK aren’t familiar with, but in Germany, nostalgia (‘Nostalgie’) for the old East German State (or the ‘Ost’) is a cultural phenomenon. Despite reunified Germany’s official position that the GDR was a dictatorship or Unrechtsstaat, there are still institutions like this museum that preserve and celebrate the objects and distinct ‘look’ of East Germany.
Why go there?
Radebeul, a district just a short bus or train ride outside of central Dresden, is home to several quirky museums, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous. One is a narrow-gauge railway museum (Schmalspurbahnmuseum) and another is a museum dedicated to cult children’s author Karl May. Whilst his name may not ring many bells for a British audience, his Cowboys-and-Indians stories are (or used to be) on every German child’s bookshelf and are a common cultural reference point for Germans. However, the big draw for foreign visitors visiting Radebeul is probably the DDR-Museum ‘Zeitreise’, as it’s a treasure trove of GDR objects. Spread over four floors, with different themes such as work, home, electronics and motoring, there are so many objects and aspects of GDR life covered that there will be something to intrigue everyone. Unlike the state-run GDR museums in this guide, this museum has the chaotic charm of an obsessive private collection.
It is impossible to see everything in a single visit. For those interested in a particular aspect of the GDR, focusing on a single floor or several rooms would help you scratch the surface. An afternoon meandering would be equally enjoyable, if a little overwhelming. The hands-on approach is very un-museum-like: many of the objects are not behind glass and you are free to walk through the room reconstructions and sit on the furniture. This compensates for the lack of textual information provided in English. There is a charmingly retro GDR-themed restaurant, too, if you wish to completely indulge in the East German experience.
What’s inside?
Although the museum claims to offer a ‘time travel’ experience, it is also highly time-consuming. The scale of the collection on display is a plus and a minus: there’s too much to take in at one visit but you have to admire the enthusiasm for preserving all things GDR. The ‘route’ begins on the top floor, with a timeline offering an overview of the GDR, in German. This is where any strict chronology ends, as the individual rooms are not connected to particular dates in GDR history. The exhibition therefore doesn’t offer the same depth of information as the exhibition Alltag in der Geschichte in Berlin, for example. It purposely steers away from the more unsavoury aspects of the GDR: the Stasi are only briefly touched upon. The iconic bright plastic kitchenware is displayed in abundance, offering an opportunity to see the original objects that have since spawned many kitschy replicas in ‘Ossi-Läden’ and tourist shops across Germany. There’s a common prejudice that everyone in the GDR had to buy the same narrow range of products, but this museum contradicts that: colourful, attractive packaging with startlingly modern typefaces can be found in the collections of cleaning products, toiletries and food. So whilst the presentation of the exhibition isn’t strictly academic, it is nonetheless a unique, surreal, take on the GDR that deserves an afternoon off the beaten track.
German History Museums 