Museum Utopia and Everyday Life - Documentation Center for Everyday Culture of the GDR

The Museum Utopia and Everyday Life unites the Documentation Center for Everyday Culture of the GDR in Eisenhüttenstadt and the Beeskow Art Archive. With 170.000 objects of everyday culture and 18.500 works of fine and applied art as well as amateur work, it preserves an extraordinary collection of the cultural history of the GDR in terms of its scope and composition.

Here, everyday culture, art and architecture are shown in the field of tension between expectations and reality, between socialist social design and real everyday life. The promise of a better society in the GDR stood in contrast to the reality of life for many people. The ideal was ideologically appropriated and discredited as a state utopia. The Museum Utopia and Everyday Life is dedicated to this contradiction. It illustrates the interaction between everyday culture, art, architecture and the social system.

At the Eisenhüttenstadt site, you can also experience the architectural and urban heritage. The planned city, which was conceived as the "first socialist city" of the GDR, is now the largest contiguous area monument in Germany.

The museum is located in a listed nativity scene building, which is designed in the style of the "National Tradition". An elaborately restored stained glass window with scenic depictions by the artist Walter Womacka decorates the entrance hall.
Located in the middle of the historic planned town of Eisenhüttenstadt, the museum is an ideal starting point for exploring the city. You can prepare a tour using a virtual city model.

In addition to the permanent exhibition "Everyday Life: GDR", changing special exhibitions are presented in the Eisenhüttenstadt exhibition center.

You can find out more about what is on offer, such as readings and events, on the homepage.