N’Ostalgiemuseum

About the museum

The foundation was laid by Horst Häger (1937–2011), a former steelworker from Brandenburg an der Havel. When goods and household items made in the GDR were being thrown away en masse after reunification, he began saving them in 1990. In 1999 he opened the collection to the public as a museum – first in a basement room, later on Steinstraße in Brandenburg. This makes it one of the earliest museums on everyday life in the GDR.

In 2009 the museum moved to the Domstiftsgut Mötzow estate near Brandenburg, where it opened seasonally. Häger’s granddaughter Nancy Häger took over the collection in 2010 and brought it to Leipzig in 2016, to Steibs Hof on Nikolaistraße, a commercial building erected by Felix Steib in 1907 that long served the fur trade.

According to the museum, it displays around 30,000 objects on more than 300 square meters in themed rooms: radios and televisions, kitchen appliances, packaging, toys, two-stroke vehicles, props from feature films, and homemade items. It deliberately does without labels for the most part, inviting visitors instead to browse and recognize things. Exhibits have also been loaned for film and theater productions, such as “Russendisko” and “Barbara.” The museum includes Café 1:33, with chairs from the Palast der Republik.

Highlights

• Around 30,000 everyday objects from the GDR
• Themed rooms for free browsing without explanatory panels
• Two-stroke vehicles, radios, and rare toys
• Café 1:33 with chairs from the Palast der Republik
• Loans for films such as “Russendisko” and “Barbara”

Permanent exhibitions

• Alltagskultur der DDR – Densely packed themed rooms with household appliances, consumer electronics, toys, vehicles, and consumer goods that invite discovery without label texts.

Founded

1999

Operated by

Nancy Häger (privat)

Admission & discounts

The website does not say who is eligible for the reduced price.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café

Café 1:33 in the museum with specialty coffees, homemade cakes, and small snacks; seating also in the courtyard of Steibs Hof. Online shop via the website.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit