Anti-War Museum

Berlin's Anti-War Museum (Anti-Kriegs-Museum) was founded in 1925 by Ernst Friedrich, a pacifist and anarchist already well-known for "War on War", his photo-book indictment of the horrors of the First World War published in 1924. Friedrich's entire collection was destroyed by the Nazis in 1933. The Anti-War Museum was re-opened in 1982, 15 years after his death. Ever since then, Friedrich's grandson, Tommy Spree, has managed the museum and hosted its many visitors with the help of an enthusiastic group of volunteers, which includes a number of teachers. Today, the museum is registered as a non-profit organisation and financed largely by donations.  
The Anti-War Museum displays photos, documents and objects from both World Wars, including medals, diaries, soldiers' letters, postcards glorifying war and photos of the badly injured. Among the other items on display are war toys from the past several centuries. A large world map provides information on current war-related trouble spots in the world. The exhibition also examines modern means of warfare such as chemical and biological weapons. A staircase even takes visitors down to a Second World War air raid shelter: the space is equipped with original items and gives visitors a dramatic impression of the oppressive atmosphere of nights spent awake during bombing attacks. A number of temporary special exhibitions and a wealth of information material also cover the latest themes relating to the peace movement.