In an unassuming Hellersdorf apartment block, far far east from the buzzing bars of Mitte lies a curious museum, one that has never required curatorial intervention. When the wall came down, a family just upped and left leaving most of their belongings behind. By the time the developer got round to tackling the estate, enough time had passed for them to look upon this dwelling with fresh eyes, and they felt compelled to freeze it in time and open as a museum.
Judging by our visit there’s no shortage of interest from Germans coming from all over to have a poke about. I guess this is as typical as you get in terms of furniture and fit out, and a good one to preserve as a showcase of DDR domestic lifestyle. From products to textiles and books, its all here to ponder over and it’s refreshingly uncontrived and un-meddled with.
At the moment the apartment right opposite is open for a good comparison, and in its sub-Ikea style you’ll be left in little doubt which you find cosier. There’s a price list you can pick up: quite how (and why) anyone scraped 6000 marks (€3067) together to shell out for a TV is anyone’s guess, especially when it was unlikely to be a good source of escapism…
More information here. Open every Sunday from 2pm – 4pm. Closed national holidays. Free entry.
Museumswohnung WBS 70
Hellersdorfer Straße 179
12627 Berlin
Tel: 0151 1611 4447
