History in Layers — The Soviet Legacy of the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum

The program “HISTORY IN LAYERS” reveals how the eventful history of the museum building and its various phases of use are reflected to this day in its architecture and preserved inscriptions.

Guided tours and performance art offer insights into the museum’s Soviet legacy, the history of World War II, and the challenges of a multi-perspective culture of remembrance. The program is complemented by a reading café on the museum terrace.

PROGRAM

Guided Tour and Discussion: “The Soviet Legacy of the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst”

10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

The Museum Berlin-Karlshorst is a site of remembrance with a multifaceted history. The guided tour explores the traces of the building’s Soviet use and examines how this legacy can be contextualized and communicated today. Following the tour, participants are invited to discuss how to engage with historical traces and the challenges of a contemporary culture of remembrance.

Sound installation with Lissening Sessions: “Echoes of May 8–9”

11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

The interactive art installation “Echoes of May 8–9” by historian Dora Busch and artist Jeremy Knowles explores the end of World War II and the various phases of use of the museum site. The Berlin-Karlshorst Museum was founded in 1967 by Soviet forces as a museum of surrender. A central stop on the tour is the ensemble of large weapons in the museum garden, which references the museum’s Soviet history. Street interviews, music, and historical artifacts are interwoven throughout the experience. This creates a space for sound, reflection, and dialogue about history and the present.

Attic Tours Focusing on Inscriptions by Soviet Soldiers

12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.

In the museum’s attic—which is otherwise closed to the public—Soviet military personnel left inscriptions in various places. These bear witness to the building’s nearly fifty years of Soviet use. Following a brief introductory talk on the daily life of the Soviet armed forces in Karlshorst, the inscriptions will be explained in small groups, each equipped with flashlights.

Curator-led tour of the special exhibition “1941. June Letters. Unread Field Mail from Kamianets-Podilskyi”

1:00 p.m.

This curator-led tour offers in-depth insights into the exhibition and the extraordinary history of the so-called “June Letters” from Kamianets-Podilskyi. These undelivered field post and private letters provide rare glimpses into the lives of Red Army soldiers and the city’s residents immediately before and during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Topics covered include the creation of the exhibition, the turbulent history of the letter collection, and new research findings on the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi in the context of Germany’s war of annihilation.

Reading Café on the museum terrace featuring the museum’s publications

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The Reading Café offers an opportunity to browse through the museum’s publications and delve deeper into the museum’s themes. Coffee, cake, savory snacks, and other beverages invite you to linger and engage in conversation.

• All guided tours are free of charge.
• No advance registration is required.