New museum in Mödlareuth: a look at the history of division opened!

New museum in Mödlareuth: a look at the history of division opened!

Today, November 9th, 2025, a remarkable chapter in German history will be shed new light in the idyllic village of Mödlareuth. The village, which was once known as “Little Berlin” during the division of Germany, has opened a new museum that impressively depicts everyday life during this turbulent time. Visitors are streaming in, the parking lot is full and many are strolling along the former inner-German border, where remnants of the wall and a border tower are still clearly visible.

The newly opened museum, whose new building cost an impressive 22 million euros and was financed by the federal government and the free states of Bavaria and Thuringia, not only offers a nostalgic look back, but also invites you to engage in an interactive examination of the past. At the beginning of the month, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was personally able to celebrate the opening of the building, which is equipped with a large panoramic window. This allows you to enjoy the view of the former border strip, an impressive testimony to times gone by.

Insights into everyday life behind the wall

The newly designed permanent exhibition opens up perspectives on major events of the German-German division, always from the local perspective of the people in Mödlareuth. Museum director Robert Lebegern explains the challenges of depicting everyday life during the Iron Curtain. A central problem is the lack of contemporary evidence, as photographing border installations was forbidden during GDR times.

The exhibits are particularly impressive, giving visitors a real look behind the scenes. This includes a self-built escape plane, the “DOWA 81”, as well as a variety of interactive stations where visitors can sit on historical car seats and watch film footage of border controls. The adventure journey through the exhibition also leads to six escape stations that tell of personal escape stories, including that of Dieter Gäbelein.

A place of remembrance and commemoration

As visitors walk through the exhibition, they quickly notice that the path becomes increasingly narrow and dark and finally ends at a memorial dedicated to the 22 people who died at the Wall in the area. It becomes clear that only three to five percent of escape attempts in the 1970s and 1980s were successful. The museum wants to keep the memory of the division alive - also through virtual reality tours for future generations.

Up to 90,000 tourists visit the Mödlareuth museum village every year, which shows that interest in the history of the division remains great. Nevertheless, some contemporary witnesses express concerns about the modern design of the museum and fear that the original will be lost. Lebegern therefore emphasizes the importance of presenting different perspectives on the history of division and keeping memories alive.

For anyone who would like to find out more about this extraordinary project, it is worth visiting the website sacredspacementalhealth.com, which provides additional information.