Life and Death on the GDR's Baltic Sea Border
In the GDR, the Baltic Sea represented a space where two realities overlapped: a vacation destination and a state border under deadly guard.
Image gallery
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
While many people spent their summers on the coast, others attempted to escape the SED dictatorship across those very same waters. At least 135 people lost their lives in the process. The Baltic Sea is thus a space where everyday experiences and political violence intertwine in a unique way.
The artist Marie Jeschke approaches this space of memory in an unusual way: her paintings are created directly in and with the waters that once marked the border between East and West Germany—the Baltic Sea, the Spree River, and the Teltow Canal.
The special exhibition features a selection of her works. Accompanying photographs document the unique creative process at the intersection of contemporary painting and the culture of remembrance.
Marie Jeschke’s artistic works are complemented by objects from the Berlin Wall Foundation’s collection: Among other items, a radio, a diving compass, and a paddle are on display—objects that Kurt Rick used in 1963 during his successful escape across the Baltic Sea.
The combination of art and historical objects offers a glimpse into the experiences and fates of the people who sought to cross these borders.
The special exhibition is on view through September 20, 2026, at the Visitor Center of the Berlin Wall Memorial.
Admission is free.
Additional information
Berlin Wall Memorial
Outdoor Exhibition: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. (after 10 p.m., the information kiosks are no longer illuminated)
Documentation Center: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (last admission to the observation tower at 5:45 p.m.)
Visitor Center: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., including holidays, unless otherwise noted
Border and Ghost Stations in Divided Berlin: Exhibition at the Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station is open during the station’s operating hours.
Opening hours on public holidays
Open as usual
