The Karlshorst Museum

The Karlshorst Museum

The Karlshorst Museum is located on a historical site for Germany as well as the rest of the world, for it is where World War II came to an end. This end came by the means of Germany’s unconditional surrender that occurred in the building. Therefore its significance is that is was used for the signing of the Capitulation. Before its importance at the end of the War it was built by the Nazi’s along with a nearby barracks and was used by the Nazi’s until their eventual surrender. It also found many uses after World War II for the soviets as it is located in the eastern portion of Berlin. The Soviets used the building and surrounding area as the soviets administrative buildings as the set up the military in this area. A few years after the wall was erected in 1967 the building was converted into a Soviet Museum and remained as such until 1994. Within the Museum between 1967-1994 was a historical interpretation of the German surrender as well as exhibits pertaining to Hitler’s war of annihilation. Even to this day the Museum is owned and operated the soviets and this is clear in the way World War II is depicted in their exhibits.

The Karlshorst Museum today is home to a variety of work that range from artwork, to propaganda used during the period, to a section on photography of war. This Museum offers a very unique perspective when compared to the others we have seen in Berlin and brings up many difficult questions, such as what were the German people thinking photographing the brutal acts of violence. It also brings up the question as why more people did not stand up to the Nazi’s, unfortunately these are questions that remain unanswered now and maybe forever.