"The Wall Remained in My Head"?: Nostalgia for the Socialist Past in Modern East Germany

The literature declares the importance of the place and museums as a platform for the formation of collective memory. A memorial culture is a tool for constructing a national identity, the basis of which are traumatic changes in society. Trauma affects at the biological, social and cultural levels, provoking Durhamian anaemia, suicides, unemployment and frustration of individuals who feel nostalgia or antinostalgia, who try to forget or review the past. These patterns generate a variety of discourses, narratives and practices of dealing with the past in the cultural field: “acting-out” and “working-through” are two main patterns. Reliving the past or distance from it creates the conversation about socialist experience into commerce, politics and the space of museums as well. Memorable places become museums (sometimes in the open air), the main symbol of the Cold War is sold as souvenirs, and battles for interpreting the past take place in the museum's space and, speaking in terms of Pierre Bourdieu, illustrate the struggle of meanings. Interested groups promote their points of view and interpretations with installations, exposing them to audio-visual impact and affect curious visitor, driven by the idea of learning as a leisure activity. This forms the attitude to the present through a story about the past. This paper presents an ethnographic analysis of expositions in museums dedicated to the GDR located in Berlin. At first glance, the manifestations of nostalgia appear upon closer examination as a facade, behind which other narratives and emotions are hidden.