German-Russian Museum Karlshorst: Permanent Exhibition

German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

The German-Russian Museum is up until now a unique bilateral institution. It is located at the historical site of the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) on May 8, 1945. With the act of ratification of the surrender document in Karlshorst, World War II came to an end in Europe. Until 1949, the Wehrmacht pioneer school’s former officers’ mess hall served as the headquarters of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. At this location in 1949, the Soviets handed over administrative authority to the first government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). From 1967 to 1994, the building contained a branch of the “Central Museum of Armed Forces Moscow” featuring the unconditional surrender of fascist Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

In 1991, as a symbol of their new collaboration, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Russian Federation decided to found a museum together at this historical location depicting the history of German-Soviet relations from 1917 to 1990. The focus is on the war of extermination against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1945.

Alongside the historical spaces and the permanent exhibition, the museum has regular special exhibitions. The main focuses are the remembrance of the war as well as topics concerning German-Russian relations; for example, war photography in particular, but also artistic, photographic confrontations with the subject matter. The museum’s work is dedicated to bringing Germany and Russia closer to each other while increasing understanding between the two countries.
for more information:
https://www.orte-der-erinnerung.de/en/institutions-2/