At a time when Western relations with Russia have fallen to a historically low level, a new museum in the city once divided by the Iron Curtain wants to explore the facets of the Cold War.
Berlin’s Cold War Museum, not far from the Brandenburg Gate which was itself divided by the wall, opens on November 26 with an interactive exhibition exploring various aspects of the Cold War period between 1947 and 1991.
The “capital of the Cold War,” as curators call it, was also the focus of tensions between Moscow and Washington, and visitors learn about the Soviet blockade of western Berlin and the ensuing Western airlift to deliver critical supplies to the city.
The space race between the US and the Soviet Union is among the subjects of the museum, which also explores the history of Western and Soviet spies in this city.
A dark wall at the entrance of the museum, located within walking distance of the US and Russian embassies, is meant to symbolise the Iron Curtain.
From juxtaposed cosmonaut and astronaut suits to a Soviet aerial spy camera, visitors can expect two floors filled with exhibits explaining key phases of the Cold War.
With interactive stations, the initiators want to appeal above all to younger people and school groups who had no direct contact with the decades of conflict after World War II.
Berlin is already home to a family-friendly Spy Museum from the same creators, as well as museums explaining life in the city when it was divided by a wall. ©dpa
