March 25, 2026 – November 15, 2026
Ein Land im Container
The exhibition traces how the GDR's state symbols were taken down, disposed of or sold after 1990 and found their way into museum collections by roundabout routes.
DDR-Museum Berlin
Private hands-on museum on the banks of the Spree opposite the Berlin Cathedral about everyday life, the state and surveillance in the GDR – open daily until 21:00.
Opening hoursAdmission from €13.90 Wheelchair accessible
Current exhibitions
About the museum
The idea came from Freiburg ethnologist Peter Kenzelmann, who looked in vain for a museum about everyday life in the GDR while visiting Berlin. The privately run museum opened on July 15, 2006, in the DomAquarée building complex right on the Spree, opposite the Berlin Cathedral. Around 180,000 visitors came in the very first year, and the millionth visitor was counted at the end of 2009.
The concept relies on touching and trying things out: drawers, cabinets and media stations invite visitors to explore. A second exhibition section on the state, the party and the Stasi (state security) was added in 2010, and a third in 2016 with the reconstruction of a complete prefabricated high-rise apartment of the WBS 70 type. The museum operates without government subsidies and is run by DDR Museum Berlin GmbH.
After the neighboring giant aquarium AquaDom burst in December 2022, the museum had to close; it was renovated and reopened on April 1, 2023, with improved accessibility. The collection now comprises around 360,000 objects of everyday GDR culture. Since March 2025 the storage facility in Berlin-Marzahn has been open for booked visits.
Highlights
- Driving simulator in an original Trabant
- Reconstructed prefabricated apartment of the WBS 70 type
- Exhibition area on the party, the Stasi and surveillance
- Numerous drawers and hands-on stations about everyday life in the GDR
- Location on the Spree opposite the Berlin Cathedral
Permanent exhibitions
- Dauerausstellung: Alltag – Staat – Überwachung – The interactive permanent exhibition covers housing, work, leisure and consumption in the GDR as well as the apparatus of power, the Wall and the Stasi.
- Founded
- 2006
- Operated by
- DDR Museum Berlin GmbH
- Director
- Gordon Freiherr von Godin
- Visitors per year
- approx. 308,874
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €13.90 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €8.50Children aged 6 and over, school students, students, trainees, people with disabilities (proof required) |
| Children & teens | €8.50free up to age 5 · Free under 6; reduced admission from age 6. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €8.50Proof required. |
| Students & apprentices | €8.50 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €9 per personGroups of 10 or more; school classes €5.50 per person. Groups must register. |
| School classes (per person) | €5.50Registration required |
Tickets available online and at the museum ticket desk. Private guided tours for groups of up to 15 people from €60 (60 min.), €90 (90 min.) or €110 (120 min.), plus combined museum and city tours from €110.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The exhibition can be reached step-free from the main entrance on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße; access from the Spree promenade is via stairs or a very steep ramp. Assistance and guide dogs allowed with proof. The storage facility in Marzahn is not accessible.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
According to the museum, suitable for children: many objects may be touched, and children can play with GDR toys in the children's room of the prefab apartment and in the kindergarten area. Strollers are allowed but impractical when the museum is busy – the museum recommends a maneuverable buggy. Baby changing room (key at the ticket desk); no dedicated nursing room.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
S3, S5, S7, S9 to Hackescher Markt or Alexanderplatz; U5 to Museumsinsel or Rotes Rathaus; U8 to Alexanderplatz; bus 100, 200 to Spandauer Straße, bus 300 to Lustgarten; tram M4, M5, M6 to Spandauer Straße; DomAquarée boat landing.
By car
Paid parking
Paid DomAquarée parking garage in the same building complex (approx. 600 spaces, open around the clock), which also has marked accessible parking spaces.
On foot: at the Liebknechtbrücke opposite the Berlin Cathedral, take the stairs down to the Spree promenade.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Coat check: not available
- Lockers
- Wi-Fi
No café or restaurant; drinks, snacks and ice cream are sold and may be consumed outside the exhibition. Lockers take a €1 or 50-cent coin. Museum shop and online shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Up to 120 guests.
A 118 m² conference room at Sankt-Wolfgang-Straße 2 is available for rent (up to 120 people standing, 100 in theater seating, 38 in classroom style) for conferences, seminars, workshops and company parties; with kitchen and beverage service.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | no |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Permitted for private purposes; commercial shoots only by arrangement with the press office. |
| Good to know | No audio guide; companion books in six languages in the shop. Exhibition texts in German and English. No time slot required. According to the museum, a typical visit takes 1.5 to 4 hours. Guided tours for up to 15 people in 14 languages, plus talks with contemporary witnesses, workshops and city tours; storage facility visits in Berlin-Marzahn by registration. Museum tours last 60, 90 or 120 minutes depending on the format. |
