Strange Friends. Friendship Among Nations Between Ideal and Reality

FRIENDSHIP! A frequently used phrase in the official language of the GDR. Socialism, as a worldwide movement, represents both ideology and promise in the early years after World War II. The practice of international solidarity and friendship among peoples shapes global politics as well as the everyday lives of individuals. The still young GDR seeks transnational alliances to secure its own legitimacy. Important partners are countries that are freeing themselves from colonial dependence. State-directed expressions of solidarity permeate daily life in schools, workplaces, and leisure activities. The ongoing influence of racist imagery and violence is rarely questioned, even as attacks on individuals, including those who come to the country through labor agreements, increase in the 1980s. The exhibition examines the contradictions of the oft-cited friendship among peoples through the museum's collections. For more information: Museum of Utopia and Everyday Life Event Calendar.