When does the telephone tour take place?

The telephone tour takes place on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM.

Who leads the tour of the exhibition?

The tour is conducted by Martina Reimann, who is involved as a curator in the special exhibition.

What does participation cost?

The telephone tour is free of charge.

Is registration required?

Yes, registration is required for participation. The registration link will be provided on the event page of the Lindenstraße Memorial Foundation.

What topics does the special exhibition address?

The exhibition addresses the long-term physical, psychological, social, and familial consequences of political imprisonment in the GDR.

Where is the Lindenstraße Memorial located?

The Lindenstraße Memorial Foundation is located at Lindenstraße 54, 14467 Potsdam.

Life After Imprisonment: A Moving Telephone Tour Through GDR Memories in Potsdam

Name: On Call Culture: Telephone Tour of the Special Exhibition “Life After Imprisonment. Former Political Prisoners of the GDR Report”
Start: 2026-11-24T15:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-24T16:30:00+01:00
Location: Stiftung Gedenkstätte Lindenstraße

History that continues after imprisonment: A telephone tour from the Lindenstraße Memorial

The telephone tour On Call Culture opens on November 24, 2026, a special access to the special exhibition “Life After Imprisonment. Former Political Prisoners of the GDR Report”. Curator Martina Reimann conveys central themes, personal stories, and historical contexts of the exhibition over the phone at the Lindenstraße Memorial Foundation in Potsdam.

Between Memory, Loss, and New Beginning

The exhibition focuses on the life paths of 20 individuals who were imprisoned for political reasons in the Potsdam remand prison or in the Cottbus penal institution. Their reports show that political imprisonment did not end with release. Professional biographies were interrupted, families were torn apart, and physical, psychological, social, and financial consequences remained effective for decades.

Personal Voices as Historical Sources

The exhibition combines film interviews, photographs, documents, and personal memorabilia. This creates an immediate engagement with the work that links historical research with individual experiences. Visitors encounter not abstract numbers, but people with their memories, injuries, coping strategies, and forms of new beginnings.

An Exhibition on the Aftermath of Political Repression

Particularly striking is the view of family separations and the difficult processing after imprisonment. The story of the Kurth family, for instance, tells of the arrest of the parents after an application for departure, the placement of the children in a home, and their reunion after imprisonment. Physical and psychological effects also become visible: Tight spaces, closed doors, and sounds can become lasting memories.

Cultural Education at a Historic Location

The special exhibition was created in cooperation with the Cottbus Human Rights Center e. V. and sees itself as a contribution to historical-political education. The telephone tour expands this educational offering with an accessible, location-independent art experience. It makes the exhibition accessible to those who cannot be on site and creates space for concentrated listening, contextualization, and aesthetic experience.

Conclusion: An Emphatic Access to Contemporary History

The telephone tour offers an informative and touching introduction to an exhibition that understands personal memory as part of German democracy and dictatorship history. Art enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone interested in human rights and political repression will experience a concentrated engagement with the work from the curator's perspective. Free participation offers a special access to an important chapter of GDR history.