Art from ruins: Schwerin's GDR plant becomes a fascinating museum!

Art from ruins: Schwerin's GDR plant becomes a fascinating museum!

In the city of Schwerin, something exciting is happening: the former motor vehicle repair work "forward" (KIW) from the GDR period, once an important starting point for drivers, is facing exciting transformation. After closing the company in 1994, which has left the building since the decay, an art museum, the "Schaumagazin Schwerin", will now be created. [Ostsee-Zeitung] (https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/lokales/schwerin/lost-place-in-schwerin-vorwaerts-ruin-aus-der-kunstmuseum-pb7vccccccccccccccc every Opening in the middle of 2027.

The innovative project is funded by the federal government with financial support of five million euros and half a million euros. However, a gap of two million euros still has to be closed to cover the total costs of 7.5 million euros. The initiator Kornelia von Berswordt-Wallrab plans to contribute her personal art collection as the heart of the new museum. The renowned Swiss architect Max Dudler has already presented his draft for the conversion.

creativity in the halls of the past

The first construction phase will concentrate on the museum area. Various planned facilities such as depot, co-working places, workshops, offices for scientists and a library should offer exciting starting points. Part of the concept also provides to tear down the subsequent garage complex and replace it with an attractive pavilion, while the iconic tile mosaic is to be preserved from demolition.

The foam magazine will act as an open art warehouse where art can not only be presented, but also collected and researched. It is an inviting place that is accessible to everyone - from students to families to artists. Interested parties were already able to take a look at the future of the KIW on a lecture by Max Dudler on June 12, 2025, with the title "Further. This took place in the KIW garage complex, which is known under the name "Vorwärmmittelweg" Schaumagazin.

A look over the national borders

The project in Schwerin is not the only of its kind that recognizes the GDR architecture. For example, the leisure and recreation center (FEZ) in Berlin, once known as a pioneering palace "Ernst Thälmann", was listed. [Development City] (https:// development city.de/wuerdigung-der-ddr-moderne-fez-in-Treptow-Koepenick-Unter-denkmalchutz/) emphasizes that it is valued for its architectural and historical importance and is considered an important example of architecture in East Berlin. This inheritance is of crucial importance to maintain cultural versatility and community spirit while new creative rooms arise.

With the planned opening of the Schaumagazin, Schwerin is finally preserved a place that combines the creative potential and the cultural heritage of the region. The redesign of a historical place to a center of contemporary art offers both the city and visitors sustainable benefits.