Who we are

Museum Berlin-Karlshorst is located at an historic site. It is a byword for the end of the second world war in 1945 and the post-war period in Europe. Today, the museum presents various points of view on German-Soviet history in the 20th century. It is unique in Germany for having a multinational board of trustees. The museum facilitates encounters and an interchange of thoughts about history and its past and present commemoration.

Four nations are involved in the work of the museum: the Federal Republic of Germany, the Russian Federation, the Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus.

The Museum Berlin-Karlshorst is 100 percent financed by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media of Germany.

The Second World War in Europe ended in what is now the museum in Berlin-Karlshorst. It was in this building that the commanders-in-chief of the Wehrmacht signed the unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 in front of representatives of the Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain and France. The surrender hall forms the centrepiece of the museum.

The museum, located in East Berlin, was originally founded in 1967 by the Soviet troops as ‘surrender museum’ and served to provide political and historical education for the soldiers, until their withdrawal, and the GDR population. In the building and on the grounds of the museum you can see many traces of this former use. These include large weapon and tank ensembles, which can still be seen in the museum garden today.

With the withdrawal of Soviet/Russian troops from Germany in 1990-1994, the existence of the museum was jeopardised. The Federal Republic of Germany and the Russian Federation were in favour of continuing its joint use and the museum was re-established under the sponsorship of a German-Russian association. The nations of Ukraine and Belarus joined in 1997.

The permanent exhibition was revised in 2013. Using photos, everyday objects, weapons, written documents and much more, it documents the Second World War from the perspective of the German and Soviet participants. The museum also focuses on the consequences of the war, which continue to this day.

During the Cold War, Berlin-Karlshorst was home to Soviet military facilities and intelligence services. The museum’s educational programme therefore also includes tours of the surrounding area and covers topics relating to the post-war period and the Cold War.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly organises special or small art exhibitions. It has an extensive educational programme for school classes and adults, including guided tours, workshops and project days. Numerous events are organised at the museum. These include lecture evenings, book presentations and cinema screenings.

The museum’s byname ‘German-Russian Museum’ was the subject of ongoing debates – long before the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This name, although historically grown, did not adequately reflect the actual work. The museum commemorates all Soviet victims of the German war of extermination, regardless of their nationality. The museum officially has the name ‘Museum Berlin-Karlshorst’, which has been entered in the register of associations since 1994.