Everyday Life on 8mm Film

Home movies from the GDR

Private Filmaufnahmen eröffnen einen seltenen Blick auf den Alltag in der DDR – auf Familienfeste, Urlaube und Rituale jenseits offizieller Bilderwelten.

Privatfilme aus der DDR

Home movies offer a rare glimpse into everyday life in the GDR—into family celebrations, vacations, and rituals beyond the official imagery. Historian Sebastian Thalheim has been conducting academic research on family and home movies for many years and, for his dissertation, examined more than 27 hours of Standard 8 and Super 8 footage from the 1950s through the 1980s. Using selected film clips, the lecture demonstrates how families captured their lives on film and the significance these recordings hold today for the culture of remembrance and the history of everyday life. At the same time, Thalheim contextualizes the popular practice of private filmmaking within its technical, cultural, and social conditions in the GDR.

Lecture and discussion: Dr. Sebastian Thalheim, historian and teacher, Berlin

Moderator: Dr. Liza Soutschek, Research Associate, DDR Museum

Next date:

• Date Wednesday, 25/November/2026 18:00 bis 20:00
• Venue DDR Museum Berlin
• Address Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 1, 10178 Berlin-Mitte