Das Zentralkomitee der SED – Machtzentrum der DDR | Orte Ost

Shielded, tightly guarded and inaccessible to most: the former Central Committee of the SED at Werderscher Markt in East Berlin was the true centre of power in the GDR. The new episode of »Places of East Germany« explores on site who made which decisions here and what the building reveals about the functioning of the SED dictatorship. Historian Dr Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk shows how the decisions of the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED) affected people’s everyday lives. From 1959 onwards, the building at Werderscher Markt housed not only the Central Committee (CC), but also its Secretariat and the Politburo, the two most important bodies of power. In weekly meetings, a small group of functionaries around Walter Ulbricht and later Erich Honecker decided on almost every aspect of life in the GDR, often in great detail. The film takes a look into the famous meeting rooms and behind doors that were once closed. At the same time, the episode tells the story of the collapse of SED rule, of the loss of power and the opening of the building in the autumn of 1989. Today, the Federal Foreign Office is located here. How does the meaning of a building change from a symbol of dictatorial power to a place of democracy? The episode shows how history is inscribed into the urban space and why it is worth taking a closer look. »Places of East Germany« is the new film series by the DDR Museum about (East) German locations, themes and events whose history continues to resonate today. Historian Dr Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk guides viewers through »lost places«, sites of memory and places of the future, combining historical context with present-day developments and personal recollections. The series is published regularly on the DDR Museum’s YouTube channel and explores these locations on site. »Places of East Germany« stands for a vivid, engaging and contemporary exploration of GDR history and invites viewers on a compelling journey of discovery between past and future.