in the USSR. But in the light of
imaginary freedom, life in GDR
obeyed the rules and procedures of
the inevitable control of information
and public opinion. Echoing the
exhibition at the Museum in der
Kulturbrauerei [4], the exhibition at
the Palace of Tears – Tranenpalast
[3] – demonstrates how control
was exercised over German citizens
crossing the division border in the
city. The German experience of
the existence of a nation in a state
divided by rigid borders is unique
for the 20th century. Germany is
still experiencing the traces and
influence of this experience. For all
this, Palace of Tears – one of the
few places in modern Germany,
where the past – the existence of
a border, the separation of people
of one nationality, often even
one family – is felt so clearly. This
exhibition is important and relevant
also because this experience of
separation in the minds of modern
Germans, as well as foreigners,
is gradually transforming and
changing, specifics are being
replaced by slogans.
Among the exhibits you can see
books, magazines, music records
that fell into the category of
unacceptable – the limits were
set by the regime and, in fact,
had no thorough explanation. So
Playboy magazine was seen as
unacceptable for transportation –
for it dictated a free attitude to sex,
which was presented in the light
of «corrupting Western values». It
is worth noting that after 30 years,
it’s rather scary to find the echoes
of the past in the present – when