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Wende Museum – The Chief Curator talks to Radio GDR

January 13, 2019 by radiogdr Leave a Comment

On this episode of Radio GDR, our host Shane Whaley talks with Joes Segal, the Chief Curator of the Wende Museum in LA. Joes shares more with us about the mission of the cold war art museum as well as how they pick which of their 100,000 items to display and much more!

Joes Segal, the Chief Curator of the Wende Museum talks to the Radio GDR Podcast

The Mission of the Wende Museum of the Cold War.

The Mission of the Wende Museum: Preserve, Inspire, Explore

The mission of the Wende Museum is to preserve Cold War art, culture, and history from the Soviet Bloc countries, inspire a broad understanding of the period, and explore its enduring legacy.

Named for the Wende (pronounced “venda”), a German word meaning “turning point” or “change” that has come to describe the transformative period leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Wende Museum:

collects and preserves artwork, artifacts, archives, films, and personal histories from Cold War–era Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union relating to the period 1945–1991;
challenges and engages the public through experimental exhibitions and interdisciplinary programming inspired by the collection;
illuminates the past and informs the present through creative collaborations with contemporary artists and designers; and
promotes rigorous scholarship, educates students, and stimulates general interest through lectures, symposia, and publications.

Interview Wende Museum on the Radio GDR Podcast – the only English language podcast dedicated to East Germany.

These are some of the topics we cover:

- Joes Segal shares more about himself and how he came to be associated with the Wende museum.
- He shares more about the founding of the Wende Museum and its mission
- We learn more about the materials from the GDR owned by the Wende Museum including personal papers from Erich Honecker.
- We talk about the general reaction to the Museum from citizens of the former GDR.
- How they decide on which items to exhibit.
- What is Joes Segal’s favourite item in the museum.
- Joes shares more with us about some of his favourite Wende Museum exhibitions.
- He shares more with us about the East German Handbook

What exciting plans or projects are coming up for the museum.
When visitors leave the Wende Museum what does Joes hope they get out of their visit.

And Much Much More!

Follow the Wende Museum

Official Wende Museum website
Twitter

Books and Movies recommended by Joes Segal, Chief Curator of the Wende Museum

The File – Tim Garton Ash
The People’s State – East German Society from Hitler to Honecker – Mary Fulbrook
The Tower – Der Turm
Goodbye Lenin
The Lives of Others
Barbara
Sonnenallee

Why not join our East Germany Facebook group to talk more about the GDR with others who are also fascinated with its history.

From Us to Me – with Director Ellin Hare

December 20, 2018 by radiogdr 1 Comment

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On this episode of the Radio GDR podcast, Ellin Hare talks to us about her documentary about everyday life in East Germany titled ‘From Us to Me.’ They become the only British film crew to make a documentary inside the German Democratic Republic. In November 1989, a year after the film’s release, the fall of the Wall signals the end of the GDR. 25 years later the British come back…..

From Us to Me 'Life in East Germany Then and now' Director Ellin Hare talks to the Radio GDR Podcast — From Us to Me ‘Life in East Germany Then and now’ Director Ellin Hare talks to the Radio GDR Podcast

Check out the trailer to From Us to Me (watch the movie and then come back to this interview with the Director Ellin Hare.)

Some of the areas of discussion in this episode of Radio GDR about ‘From Us to Me‘ include:

How did the idea for the movie come about?
How was the film funded?
Why Rostock?
How did Ellin Hare and her team go about selecting the families to profile and interview? (Were they suggested by the authorities or did you have free reign?)
What was the general reaction to Elli and the crew from the locals?
Was this Ellin’s first visit to the GDR? What were herr impressions and how did they compare to the image she had of the GDR beforehand
What was the reaction to the film from the families themselves.
What led Ellin to wanting to make essentially a second movie about the people from the first movie filmed in 1987?And Much More

Resources mentioned on this Episode of the Radio GDR Podcast

From Us to Me trailer

Watch From Us to Me

More about the cast of From Us to Me

Ellin Hare – Amber Film Collective

From Us to Me – Q and A with Ellin Hare

Winfried Junge – prolific film and documentary maker in the GDR. Awarded the

1981: National Prize of the GDR III. Class for The Chronicle of the Children of Golzow

Generation ’89 GDR documentary by Anke Ertner (english subtitles.) Highly recommended by Radio GDR Podcast co-host Shane.

Winter adé DDR 1987/1988 short film recommended by Ellin Hare -‘This groundbreaking documentary caused a sensation when it was premiered at the 1988 Leipzig International Documentary Film Festival. It undermined the official image of women in the GDR and challenged the East German claim to have achieved gender equality. At the same time, postulating a new independence, women talked about their lives more openly than had ever been filmed before. Ironically, the director was in the US touring with the film on the night when the Berlin Wall fell … exactly one year after its premiere.’

More at DEFA Film Website

You can rent and buy GDR era movies at the DEFA Store

Hansa Rostock – yes Shane had to get one football reference in.

Looking for more discussion with others who are interested in the GDR – join our listeners facebook group here

Seid Bereit! GMC latest ad using parts of East Germany’s national anthem

December 18, 2018 by radiogdr Leave a Comment

A clever Radio GDR listener tweeted us to take a listen to the latest GMC Denali TV commercial. He claimed GMC were using the music from the national anthem of East Germany or the German Democratic Republic. We took a listen and he is right!

A clever Radio GDR podcast listener informs us that GMC are unknowingly using a few bars from the DDR National Anthem

What do you think?

This certainly sounds like the first few bars of Auferstanden aus Ruinen ‘Risen from the Ruins.’ The catchy tune has not been heard on the airwaves since 1990 (probably.) We wonder if the folks at GMC are aware that former East Germans living in the US may be falling out of their chairs or shouting out ‘Seid Bereit’ on hearing the ad?

We also wonder who composed the music, to be fair it is only the first few bars but they are very recognizable, this is no anonymous middle 8th.

Here are some examples of the original Auferstanden aus Ruinen:

with English subtitles

Interested in the German Democratic Republic? Join others who are also fascinated by the GDR in our Radio GDR Facebook Group

DDR Museum Director- Gordon von Godin

December 9, 2018 by radiogdr 1 Comment

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DDR Museum Director Gordon Von Godin joins Shane Whaley on the Radio GDR Podcast.

Image of Herr von Godin (Copyright DDR Museum.)

On this episode of Radio GDR (the only Podcast about East Germany in English) Gordon shares with us:

the mission of the DDR Museum
some of the exhibits that are available for viewing at the DDR Museum
how the DDR Museum aims to achieve a balance by showing the daily life of East Germany whilst acknowledging the sensitivity of the issues around the Stasi and the dictatorship of the German Democratic Republic.
the reaction of former GDR citizens to the DDR Museum
what hurts former GDR citizens when it comes to identity
how much time you should spend in the DDR Museum to get the most out of it. (If you are a GDR history nerd like Shane you may need more time.)
his favorite items in the DDR Museum
what DDR music you may hear in the restrooms at the museum.
more about temporary exhibitions
Love, Sex and Socialism at the DDR Museum from summer 2018
what was it like growing up in East Germany?
how is Prenzlauer Berg now compared with life there before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
where he was when the Berlin Wall fell
music that Gordon enjoyed in the GDR.
what did Gordon spend his 100 DM on?
which nationalities visit the DDR Museum

And Much More!

Some of the photos Shane took at the DDR Museum.

Shane's favourite item in the DDR Museum - the GDR world cup team table football game! — Shane’s favourite item in the DDR Museum – the GDR world cup team table football game!

Resources mentioned on this episode of Radio GDR.

DDR Museum (includes ticket purchase options.)

Follow the DDR Museum on Twitter

DDR Museum on Instagram

Tripdvisor reviews of the DDR Museum

Atlas Obscura review of the DDR Museum

Karat
You might recognise this tune from the Radio GDR Podcast intro.

The 1970s were the golden years of rock in East Germany and Karat, founded in autumn 1974, have been at the forefront of that genre ever since they played their first-ever concert in February 1975. They soon became popular, cementing their growing fame with their breakthrough hit ‘Über sieben Brücken musst du gehn’. In 1979, they were even granted permission to perform in West Berlin. Karat are still touring; their most recent studio album was released in 2015.

Silly
‘Another of the GDR’s major rock acts, Silly was founded in East Berlin in 1978 under the moniker ‘Familie Silly’ – ‘Silly’ alone being too much of an Anglicism for the purists in the licensing office. Four years later, the band was granted official approval to rename itself. Silly survived the fall of the Berlin Wall, but suffered a painful loss in 1996, when their charismatic singer Tamara Danz died of cancer at the age of 43. The band is still touring with a new line-up and released a double album of live tracks in 2017. ‘Bataillon d’Amour’ is among their most enduringly famous tracks.”

Nina Hagen

Holger Bieger

Information on Silly and Karat from the article titled ‘East German Rock Legends Everyone Should Know.’

GDR Objectified with John Paul Kleiner and his episode on Montreal.

As mentioned on this episode of Radio GDR, our listeners facebook group is gaining momentum. If you are are interested in chatting to others about GDR history and sharing photos from trips and/or your collection then this is the place for you!

Radio GDR – why a podcast on East Germany/DDR? (Ep 1)

November 28, 2018 by radiogdr 2 Comments

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Radio GDR – A Podcast All About East Germany

This episode serves as primer for future episodes of Radio GDR. Your hosts Anke and Shane talk about what they hope the podcast will achieve and what they want to learn more about.

Life in the former East Germany holds an ongoing fascination for a lot of people. Join us as we learn more about the former East Germany. We will cover lots of themes and topics from art to architecture, from football to food, from music to Magdeberg!

Radio German Democratic Republic is a blog (currently under construction) and podcast designed to educate and inform on the life and times of East Germany. Radio GDR is hosted by Anke Holst who grew up in the GDR and Shane Whaley, a Brit, who has had a lifelong fascination with East Germany. It is not the intention of Radio GDR to debate the pros and cons of Communism or any other ideology. (Each to their own on this, we hope people of all peaceful and non aggressive beliefs will respect each other and talk about the ‘life and times’ rather than engage in philosophical fisticuffs. Plenty of other sites and communities for that kind of thing.)

Join us on this journey of capturing the stories of people who grew up in the GDR, worked in the GDR, visited the GDR or are experts on an aspect of GDR life.

Disclaimer – we do not seek to glorify or revere the East German SED regime, we want to uncover and discuss the stories of East Germans who lived in the GDR. We will not be whitewashing this history but there are plenty of other places to discuss the Stasi and the repressive dictatorship of the GDR.

Resources Mentioned on Episode 1 of Radio GDR –

Meet the Hosts of Radio GDR

Anke Holst interview on Cold War Conversations Podcast

Shane Whaley interview on Cold War Conversations Podcast ‘Espionage, East Germany and Berlin’

From Us to Me – Life in East Germany Then and Now (Documentary on the GDR in English.)

Christa Wolf – Famous East German writer