2_2_DiscoverGermany_June2014_Issue15:Scan Magazine 1
15/5/14
14:39
Page 44
Conference of the Month Germany
Both a museum and Berlin’s most exclusive and beautiful venue
The Museum für Kommunikation The Museum of Communication in Berlin covers not only the origin and development of modern communication, but recent developments as well. Situated in the historical building of the former Reichspost museum it combines history and actuality: a modern museum to experience all forms of communication as well as the tradition of an old building. The Museum für Kommunikation is Berlin’s most beautiful venue for big and small celebrations. TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: MUSEUM FÜR KOMMUNIKATION BERLIN
“What makes our museum so special is its diversity,”says curator Dr Lieselotte Kugler. “Our collection dates back to the year 1872 and displays, for example, the world’s first telephone and a functioning tube mail.”The museum originates in the old Reichspost museum and therefore looks back on a venerable tradition. Originally housed in a postal building it moved to the newly built and more representative museum in 1898.
44 | Issue 15 | June 2014
During the Second World War, exhibits were removed and during the division of Germany two smaller exhibitions existed – one in the western and one in the eastern part of the city. In the year 2000 they were reunited in the old museum complex that today unifies history and modern technology. Besides the world’s most famous and expensive stamp, the Blue Mauritius, it houses modern computer technology too.
Special exhibitions address modern problems in communication “Our special exhibitions always focus on recent problems.”Kugler talks about the current exhibition ‘Außer Kontrolle?’ – German for ‘Out of Control?’ – that addresses life under constant surveillance. Systematic observation of citizens did not start with the NSA scandal or modern technology, even though these topics are covered in the exhibition as well, but has its origin, for example, in neighbours spying on each other or breaches of postal privacy. Does camera surveillance make our life more secure? How can security and freedom be achieved under such conditions? Surveillance has always been a structuring element in modern society but also a threat of abuse. The exhibition is interactive, inviting visitors to try out a fingerprint scanner or a device used for searching for bugs in a wall.