Dokumentationszentrum Prora - travelling exhibitions

Travelling Exhibitions:

The "Paradise" of the "Volksgemeinschaft". A travelling exhibition about the "Kraft durch Freude" seaside resort of Prora and the German "Volksgemeinschaft".

The travelling exhibition highlights aspects of the permanent exhibition “MACHTUrlaub“ which was opened in July 2004 and has been a great success. "MACHTUrlaub" is currently the only permanent exhibition depicting the labour and social history of National Socialism in Germany.

The exhibition focusses on the National Socialist "Volksgemeinschaft" and traces the history of the seaside resort of Prora and its connection to the social policy of National Socialism with the concept of the "Volksgemeinschaft" as an integral part. The exhibition highlights the major NS organisations in charge, their propaganda as well as the social realities that did not conform to NS propaganda.

The exhibition outlines the architectural history of the listed complex from 1935 up to the present day. The National Socialist organisation "Kraft-durch-Freude" intended to use the seaside resort to provide inexpensive holidays for up to 20.000 people at a time. This was, however, not an end in itself but rather served the regime's war preparations.

The aim of the exhibition is to document the socio-political goals of the NS regime. Which strategies did the regime pursue to secure and maintain its rule? Which measures were taken to exclude people for racist and political reasons? The exhibition reveals the regime's ultimate aim to wage war as the underlying motive of all Nazi measures. It serves as the starting point to destroy the myth of National Socialism and the ideological basis of neofascist movements.

produced by: Stiftung NEUE KULTUR, Projektgruppe Prora, 2005

size: 28 boards in landscape format A0; in german language

accompanying film
The film documents the Nazi organisation „Kraft-durch-Freude“ (KdF). Topics covered are the recreational activities offered by KdF such as holidays and KdF cruise ships. and the seaside resort of Prora (architecture contest, construction of the complex, its history during war times and the life of the GDR as well as the latest developments since the Federal Republic of Germany took over the complex). The film uses historical film and sound material and the comments of contemporary witnesses.
length: 33 min, available as DVD

The exhibition is lendable. Please contact us: info@prora.eu

Locations:

06th March 05 to 24th April 05: Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Emslandlager, Papenburg

28th April 05 – 27th May 05: DGB Region Leipzig, Leipzig

12th September 05 to 30th of October 2005: DGB Sachsen, Dresden

29th January 06 to 19th February 2006: Kreismuseum Wewelsburg, Büren-Wewelsburg

9th May to 8th July 2007: Gedenkstätte für die Opfer der NS-„Euthanasie“, Bernburg

21st January to 24th March 2008: Martin-Luther-Gedächtniskirche, Berlin-Marienfelde

8th July to 31st August 2008: Jugendzeltplatz Prora, Binz/OT Prora

"Leisure time in fascism – leisure time policy in National Socialist Germany and fascist Italy"

An international travelling exhibition of the Prora Documentation Centre in cooparation with the Institut for History at the University of Turin and "Communicatio Humana Exhibitions", Prague.

The exhibition deals with the state leisure time policy in National Socialist Germany and in fascist Italy and introduces both state run leisure time organizations, “Kraft durch Freude” and “Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro”. It shows the methods and mechanisms used by both organizations to shift the border between privacy and public and almost delete privacy.

Quoting the example of Czechia the exhibition demonstrates how the National Socialists applied their leisure time policy also to the occupied countries and shows it as a part of war and propaganda policy of the “Third Reich”.

The presentation is meant to contribute to the destruction of the “shiny façade” (“Schöner Schein”) which was projected by the contemporaries particularly onto the leisure time policy.

Still many people consider the leisure time policy as the "positive side” of the respective regime, as a social achievement. And still today – where the social question is taken up again – not only German and Italian but also other European right-wing extremists and neo-fascists advertise with these “achievements” for a certain policy, above all with the state organized holiday trips at the time.

The exhibition contents 38 boards in landscape format A0 with text and pictures. It is available in German, Czech and Italian language.

The exhibition is lendable. Please contact us: info@prora.eu

Sie mussten für das Reich arbeiten – tschechische Zwangsarbeiter in Deutschland („They had to work for the Reich – forced Czech forced labourers in Germany“)

	This exhibition is presented in cooperation with the state archive Prag and the institute for contemporary history Prague. The german version was produced by Stiftung NEUE KULTUR, Projektgruppe Prora, and is lendable. Please contact us. size: 26 boards in panel format A1; in german language The exhibition is lendable. Please contact us: info@prora.eu