New special exhibition on the Baltic Sea at the DDR Museum

The new special exhibition "The Baltic Sea - vacation destination, border region, place of longing" sheds light on the question of what significance the Baltic Sea coast had for the inhabitants of the GDR. Naturally, the first associations revolve around Baltic Sea vacations, the colorful 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, a competition was held to find the most beautiful Baltic Sea sandcastle. There were numerous entries with many memories of the photos submitted. Our prizewinner's sandcastle was recreated as a model and is on display in the exhibition showcase. Also on display are 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.

However, 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.