| In this dissertation I investigate the presentation of German history in the former East German Museum for German History (MfGH). This was the central historical museum of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and it presented the official interpretation of the German past. My objective is to understand this museum through its presentations, and learn what was excluded and included in the exhibitions. I want to determine how unique this museum was, whether it had "reclaimed history for the German people", and provided them enough "space" to reflect on and understand their own past. I am also concerned about the museum's relevance. It was absorbed by the newer German Historical Museum in 1990, its exhibitions were archived, and a new leadership assumed control. The MfGH's version of German history has disappeared.; My data come from the archive housing the remnants of this museum. I found a combination of display albums, catalogs, conceptual outlines of exhibitions, and official documents from the museum's leadership. This material enabled me to best "see" what the museum exhibited. I argue the following. The Museum for German History was a construction of its leadership and the state. The museum's officials presented their version of German history, which they believed in. Although the MfGH presented a new version of the past, its master narrative was very restrictive, providing the viewers with only one means to understand and reflect on their own German past. Despite the intentions of the museum, the viewers were not involved in the history presented to them. Nevertheless, the MfGH was a very professional museum that took its mission seriously. During its nearly forty years of existence, this museum was actively engaged in the presentation of the past, through its permanent and temporary exhibitions, its library, its collection of objects, and its professional and scholarly staff. The museum presented the official historical identity of the GDR, a country that has not disappeared into history. Many aspects of this version remain important, and the connection between the MfGH and the state makes this museum worthy of further study. |
