In the GDR, the Baltic Sea represented a space where two realities overlapped: a vacation destination and a state border guarded to the death. While many people spent their summers on the Baltic coast and experienced the sea as a place of relaxation, others attempted to escape the SED dictatorship across those very same waters.
Image gallery
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
At least 135 people lost their lives in the attempt; numerous others succeeded in escaping across the water. The Baltic Sea is thus a space where everyday experiences and political violence intertwine in a unique way.
In this joint discussion, two perspectives converge: historical and artistic research. Moderated by Dr. Martina Weyrauch, historian Prof. Dr. Hope M. Harrison and artist Marie Jeschke will discuss how different forms of knowledge complement one another—and how art and science can jointly develop new approaches to the Baltic Sea as a space of memory.
Following the discussion, the exhibition “Where Hummingbirds Swim” by Marie Jeschke will open at the Berlin Wall Memorial’s visitor center.
Program
Welcome: Prof. Dr. Axel Klausmeier, Director of the Berlin Wall Foundation
Lecture: Prof. Dr. Hope M. Harrison
Panel discussion: Prof. Dr. Hope M. Harrison and Marie Jeschke, Moderator: Dr. Martina Weyrauch
Opening of the exhibition “Where Hummingbirds Swim”
Additional information
Dates
June 2026
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