‘Places East’ film series at the DDR Museum
How can housing be created quickly and affordably? The episode “Orte Ost” explores this question using the example of the prefabricated housing estate in Berlin-Marzahn and shows what solutions the GDR developed.
Image gallery
Dr. Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk
Historian Dr. Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk identifies the housing issue as a central social concern. In the GDR, it took on a political dimension early on. Under Erich Honecker, a large-scale housing construction program was launched based on the WBS 70 model.
In the 1980s, a large new district built with prefabricated concrete blocks emerged in Marzahn on the outskirts of East Berlin. The episode sheds light on the daily lives of the residents and compares them with large housing estates in the West.
After 1990, the character of many prefabricated housing areas changed. Today, there is renewed discussion about whether mass-produced housing can be a solution.
“Orte Ost” is the DDR Museum’s film series about (East) German places and their impact on the present day. It is released regularly on the DDR Museum’s YouTube channel.
What: Marzahn Prefabricated Housing Estate – Housing of the Future?
When: April 27, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Where: “Orte Ost” – film project with Dr. Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk on the DDR Museum’s YouTube channel
“Orte Ost” Film Series – YouTube
(Language: German)
Additional information
"Orte Ost" Film Series - YouTube
Online event!
Dates
April 2026
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