World War II in Europe ended in the building of the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst on the night of 8 to 9 May 1945. The commanders-in-chief of the Wehrmacht surrendered unconditionally to all four victorious powers: the Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain and France.

2024 marks the 79th anniversary of this historic event. The museum organises a special programme every year on 8 May. The focus is on commemorating the liberation from National Socialism and individual remembrance of the victims of German crimes during the Second World War.

Free entry

Reading café – The end of the war in Europe in international newspapers
10 am-6.30 pm

The news of the capitulation of the German Reich went around the world. Historical newspapers and magazines bear witness to this event. In the reading café – in the museum’s winter garden – visitors are invited to look through international press products over coffee and cake.

Commented film screening in the cinema – The signing of the capitulation in historical film footage
3.30 pm and 5 pm

Correspondents from various countries reported on the signing of the capitulation on 8 May in Berlin-Karlshorst. The journalistic documentation of the day using photos and film footage is rich in detail. It begins, for example, with the arrival of the delegations of the victorious powers at Tempelhof Airport or accompanies their journey to Karlshorst through the destroyed city of Berlin. For the first time, the museum is presenting a cinematic overview of the events of 8 May 1945.

Guided tours to the historic site of the surrender on 8 May 1945

German guided tours: 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm
English guided tours: 3.30 pm, 5.30 pm
Russian guided tour: 2.30 pm
Ukrainian guided tour: 4.30 pm

It is not necessary to book in advance to take part in a guided tour.

Survey: Your thoughts on remembrance on 8 May
10am-6pm

Take part in a survey on remembrance on 8 May and talk to us. You are invited to tell us what the end of World War II means to you.

Evening lecture and discussion: No end to the war in Ukraine? Experiences from wars of the past (by Prof Dr Andreas Heinemann-Grüder / University of Bonn)
7 pm

Ukraine finds itself in a precarious situation in the third year after the start of the Russian war of aggression. If international support crumbles, Ukraine could suffer further heavy losses. What would the consequences be? Political science uses conflict research to look at the question of what influences the end of wars and whether the history of past war endings can offer possible answers to the current challenges of the war in Ukraine.

To attend the evening lecture, please register at kontakt@museum-karlshorst.de. The number of places is limited.

Book sale: Some of the museum’s publications will be available free of charge or at reduced prices on 8 May.

Opening hours and guided tour programme on 9 May 2024:
10 am-6 pm

German guided tour: 3 pm
Russian guided tour: 3.30 pm

Please note the following when visiting the museum on 8/9 May 2024:

The consumption of food and drink brought onto the museum grounds is not permitted.

Extended house rules apply. These will be available here shortly.