Nestled on the historic Unter den Linden boulevard in Berlin, the German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum or DHM) is more than a collection of artifacts behind glass. It is a living, breathing institution tasked with one of the most complex and consequential missions in the world of culture: to explore and present the entirety of German history in its European context. In a nation whose past is at once illustrious and deeply troubled, preserving history is not a neutral act of simple archiving. It is an active, ongoing process of excavation, interpretation, dialogue, and, ultimately, meaning-making. The role of the DHM is not merely to preserve objects, but to preserve memory, foster critical understanding, and serve as a national workshop for confronting the questions of “who we are” through the unflinching lens of “where we have been.”
I. More Than a Museum: The DHM’s Founding Mandate and Architectural Dialogue
The German Historical Museum was founded in 1987, on the eve of Berlin’s 750th anniversary, by then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Its initial conception was as a museum of German history that would showcase a narrative leading to the democratic and European values of the West, set against the backdrop of a divided Germany and a divided Berlin. However, the fall of the Berlin Wall just two years later and the subsequent reunification of Germany radically transformed its purpose. The DHM was no longer a Western institution; it became the central historical museum for a whole nation grappling with its newly unified, yet fractured, identity.
This transformation is physically embodied in its architecture. The museum is housed in two distinct buildings that engage in a powerful architectural dialogue, representing the different layers of German history it seeks to interpret.
- The Zeughaus (Armory): The oldest building on Unter den Linden, the Zeughaus is a magnificent Baroque structure completed in 1706. It served as an armory for the Prussian kings, a symbol of military might. Its very stones speak of imperial ambition, martial tradition, and the power structures that shaped Germany for centuries. To house a historical museum in a former armory is itself a statement: it repurposes a monument to state power into a space for public critical inquiry.
- The Pei Building: In a stunning contrast, the modern exhibition hall, designed by the world-renowned architect I.M. Pei and opened in 2003, is a masterpiece of glass and light. Its bold, geometric form, featuring a spectacular spiral staircase, represents transparency, modernity, and a forward-looking perspective. The juxtaposition of the old Zeughaus and the new Pei Building is a physical manifestation of the museum’s mission: to create a conversation between the deep, often heavy, traditions of the past and the clear, critical, and contemporary need to understand them.
This architectural duality perfectly frames the DHM’s work. It is not about hiding the past in an old building or dismissing it with a new one, but about creating a dynamic tension between them, forcing visitors to constantly navigate between different historical epochs and modes of thought.
II. The First Layer of Preservation: The Tangible Collection
At its most fundamental level, the DHM preserves history through the acquisition, conservation, and study of a vast material collection. With over 900,000 objects, its holdings are encyclopedic, spanning from prehistoric tools to fragments of the Berlin Wall.
This collection includes:
- Medieval reliquaries and royal regalia that speak to the Holy Roman Empire and the deep roots of German statehood.
- Paintings, prints, and sculptures by masters like Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach, offering artistic perspectives on their times.
- Everyday objects—clothing, furniture, kitchenware—that tell the story of ordinary people, their lives, and their social realities.
- Militaria and political posters from the World Wars, providing direct, often chilling, evidence of ideology and conflict.
- Objects of division and unity, such as an original Trabi (the East German automobile) or a piece of the graffiti-covered Wall, symbolizing the Cold War chapter.
But preservation here is not hoarding. Each object is meticulously conserved, cataloged, and researched. The museum’s laboratories and archives are where history is scientifically stabilized, preventing its physical decay. This work ensures that primary sources survive for future generations, serving as undeniable physical evidence against the tide of forgetting or distortion.
III. The Deeper Preservation: Curating Narrative and Confronting the “Vergangenheitsbewältigung”
The true complexity of the DHM’s role begins where simple preservation ends. What story do you tell with these 900,000 objects? For Germany, this is not a straightforward task. The 20th century alone presents the immense challenge of dealing with the Weimar Republic, the Nazi dictatorship, the Holocaust, World War II, division, and reunification.
The DHM’s role is deeply intertwined with the German concept of “Vergangenheitsbewältigung”—a term that translates roughly to “coming to terms with the past.” It implies a struggle to work through, process, and master a difficult history. The DHM does not shy away from this duty; it embraces it as its core function.
This is evident in its permanent exhibition, “German History in Images and Testimonies from the Middle Ages to the Present.” The exhibition does not present a triumphant, nationalistic narrative. Instead, it is a critical, self-reflective journey. The sections on the Nazi era are particularly powerful. They do not merely display swastikas and uniforms; they meticulously document the rise of the ideology, the mechanisms of terror, the propaganda, the complicity of various sectors of society, and the horrific reality of the Holocaust and the war. The narrative is clear, contextual, and unflinching.
By presenting this history in such a direct and well-documented way, the DHM performs a crucial act of preservation: it preserves the memory of the victims and the facts of the crimes. In an age of rising Holocaust denial and historical revisionism, this function is more vital than ever. The museum serves as a bulwark against what the German philosopher Theodor Adorno called the “new categorical imperative:” to arrange our thoughts and actions so that Auschwitz will not repeat itself.
IV. A Forum, Not a Temple: Fostering Dialogue and Critical Thinking
The DHM understands that a modern history museum cannot be a “temple” where a single, authoritative truth is handed down to a passive public. Instead, it strives to be a “forum”—a space for debate, questioning, and multiple perspectives.
This is achieved through several key strategies:
- Temporary Exhibitions: The Pei Building is primarily dedicated to a rotating series of temporary exhibitions that dive deep into specific, often provocative, topics. These have included examinations of Hitler and the Germans, the history of immigration in Germany, the 1968 student protests, and the art of the Weimar era. These focused shows allow the museum to tackle complex subjects with nuance, present new research, and engage with current societal debates through a historical lens.
- Multiperspectivity: The exhibitions often consciously incorporate multiple viewpoints. For instance, an exhibition on a historical event might present the perspectives of rulers and the ruled, men and women, urban elites and rural populations. This approach rejects a monolithic narrative and acknowledges that history is experienced and interpreted differently by different people.
- Educational Outreach: The DHM has a robust educational department that works with schools, universities, and the general public. Through guided tours, workshops, lectures, and digital offerings, it doesn’t just teach history; it teaches how to think historically. It encourages visitors to analyze sources, question interpretations, and understand the difference between fact, opinion, and propaganda.
By fostering this critical engagement, the DHM preserves and promotes the skills of democratic citizenship. In a democracy, an informed and critically thinking populace is the best defense against the manipulation of history for extremist ends.
V. The Digital Frontier: Preserving and Presenting History in the 21st Century
The role of a 21st-century museum extends far beyond its physical walls. The DHM has been a pioneer in embracing digital technology to fulfill its mission. Its LeMO (Lebendiges Museum Online – Living Museum Online) platform is one of the most comprehensive digital archives for German history, offering thousands of objects, documents, photographs, and chronologies for free to a global audience.
This digital expansion is a form of preservation in itself. It ensures access to historical knowledge for those who cannot travel to Berlin, democratizing history. Furthermore, it creates new ways of engaging with the past through virtual exhibitions, interactive timelines, and online educational resources. In the digital realm, the museum can preserve not only the objects but also the connections between them, creating a dynamic, interconnected web of historical understanding that is constantly updated and expanded.
Conclusion: The Guardian of a Contested Past, The Guide to a Conscious Future
The German Historical Museum is far more than a repository of old things. It is a guardian of memory, a workshop for Vergangenheitsbewältigung, a forum for democratic debate, and an innovator in digital history. Its essential role is to hold a space for the complex, painful, and triumphant layers of the German past to coexist and be examined without illusion.
In a country where the past is never truly “past,” the DHM provides the tools for a necessary and ongoing conversation. It preserves history not by embalming it, but by keeping it alive, relevant, and challenging. By meticulously preserving the evidence of both Germany’s profound cultural achievements and its deepest moral failings, the museum does not seek to foster pride or shame, but rather responsibility—a responsibility to remember, to learn, and to apply the hard-won lessons of history to the construction of a more humane and vigilant future. In doing so, the German Historical Museum stands not only as a pillar of German culture but also as a model for any nation courageous enough to look its own history squarely in the eye.