Like a Tinderbox! The Berlin Crisis and the Construction of the Wall

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Location
AlliiiertenMuseum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Year
2011

The exhibit presents the historical events between 1958 and 1961 – the diplomatic Berlin Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Panzer tank confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie and the impending nuclear war. The goal is to give visitors from all over Germany a unique opportunity to personally relive the world-changing events of the period and, simultaneously, to experience the pervasive climate of constant danger and uncertainty. The architectural forms and original artifacts help underscore this persistant atmosphere of conflict and mutual intimidation. Creating a dialectic between somber and aggressive installational forms, the space plays with the visitor's perceptions of fear, anger, and even, at times, helplessness.

Key artifacts in the exhibit include the Khrushchev-Ultimatum, the tip of one of an original surviving atomic bomb, and an authentic façade from the guardhouse at Checkpoint Charlie. The historical timeline is further highlighted and contextualized through original film sequences and newspaper clippings.

Dimensions
350 m² GFA

Services
Architecture Services LPH 1-9
Artifact/Exhibit Presentation
Graphic Design
Media Design

Production Timeline
March 2011 – August 2011

Opening
August 2011

Client
Allied Museum Berlin

Photography
Mila Hacke, Berlin
neo.studio, Berlin

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