Supporters

The Museum Utopia and Everday Culture. Everyday Culture and Art in the GDR unites the Documentation Center for GDR Everyday Culture in Eisenhüttenstadt and the Beeskow Art Archive under one roof. Both centres are run by the Oder-Spree district and are funded by the state of Brandenburg.

Friends Association

Forum Kulturerbe der DDR e. V.
c/o Burg Beeskow
Frankfurter Straße 23
15848 Beeskow
Phone 03366 35 2715

On February 8, 2012, nine highly motivated women and men met at the office of the Art Archive at Beeskow Castle to establish a Friends Association. The successful three-year joint project “Image Atlas: Art in the GDR” (May 2009 – April 2012) had preceded this. The young female scholars entrusted with the project provided the decisive impulse. For them, as emerging scholars, access to the Art Archive should be made easier in the future. They hoped to receive support from a new Friends Association.

Herbert Schirmer, who until 1998 was Director of Beeskow Castle and Head of the Beeskow Collection and Documentation Center for GDR Art, became the first Chairman of the Forum Kunstarchiv Beeskow e.V. He was supported by Deputy Chair Dr. Ilona Weser, who at the time was First Deputy to the District Administrator and Head of the Department for Education, Health and Social Affairs in the Oder-Spree district. Kristina Geisler, then staff member of the Beeskow Art Archive, was elected as Treasurer.

Since 2013, the Association has primarily been responsible for organizing annual summer schools. After initial very successful projects with universities from Lüneburg, Berlin, Utrecht, and Frankfurt (Oder), since 2016 the focus has shifted to summer courses for high school students from the Oder-Spree district. From then on, the Association successfully collaborated with the Documentation Center for GDR Everyday Culture in Eisenhüttenstadt, where artworks from the Beeskow collection were exhibited for the first time.

Meanwhile, the two institutions in Beeskow and Eisenhüttenstadt have moved even closer together. This development was reflected in the newly formulated goals of the Association. Since December 12, 2019, it has been called Forum Cultural Heritage of the GDR e.V. and supports the interests of both institutions under the umbrella of the Museum of Utopia and Everyday Life. Currently, it has seventeen members. In May 2020, they elected Antje Hoffmann from Frankfurt (Oder) as their new Chairwoman.

Looking to the future with great optimism, we are initially planning several attractive new features for the Eisenhüttenstadt institution: We want to help make the museum a welcoming house and lively meeting place. Those who wish will soon be able to find relaxation in the newly designed garden, where nursery children once romped. A modern coffee machine for guests is already in place.

Beyond this, the Beeskow Art Archive plans to reach out to those Beeskow residents who have not yet found their way to us. We believe that art knows no barriers and is most enjoyable in a group. Thus, we have successfully promoted workshops in the art depot among seniors and migrants. A new offering that will hopefully create ripple effects.