German History Museum and the DDR Museum

My last couple of days in Berlin left me with effectively two mornings for sightseeing. The first I spent, in addition to a little random walking in the city centre, with another visit to the German History Museum to finish it off. 

 Probably my favourite caption in the German History Museum was this damning indictment of the DDR government's economic miracle.

They had managed to spend huge sum's of money on technological development for a product that sold for 1% of what it had cost to produce. The DDR fell like all far left governments fall. Eventually they just run out of money, and the ever greater hardships falling on their own populations compared to their neighbours just mean that there comes a point at which they have to surrender and hope they can slink away. (Of course Diane Abbott would think that selling something for 1% of what it cost is a measure of her genius with figures...)

The back of the museum and courtyard have undergone a lot of renovation for expanded exhibition space. Quite impressive.

 My last dinner was a relaxed affair at  the Italian Trattoria I had found.

 With just a morning left before my late afternoon flight I decided to go to the DDR Museum, which is a tiny and very popular little museum, clearly not built for the number of visitors it gets. On a Monday morning there were still queues at opening time. But as it was another beautiful day I had a walk along the riverside too.

 

 

As I say, the museum is "compact" to say the least and so I only took one photo inside. And that was of a prison cell for political prisoners, which in the DDR could mean just about anyone at anytime. The place should be compulsory viewing for anyone toying with extreme left wing politics. The easy descent into absurdity as well as misery, the shoddy manufactured goods, the shortages at random of any products, and of course the little village for the party elite to avoid the public.

This telecommunications tower is really the only remaining monument to the DDR, nothing else being worth preserving.

A final lunch, and then home from my very satisfying Central European tour. It felt a long fortnight, but in a good way, not one that dragged. And great weather throughout. This global warming stuff isn't all bad!