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Weekend Tips: What to Do This Weekend in Berlin
April 24 to 26, 2026: Events, festivals, exhibitions and more things to do for your perfect weekend in Berlin. more
81 years - End of the Second World War in Europe
Blick vom Reichstag auf das Brandenburger Tor, Berlin-Tiergarten, Anfang Mai 1945
© Museum Berlin-Karlshorst, Foto: Timofej Melnik
The unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht to the four victorious powers was signed in the museum building in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8, 1945. This marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.
May 8 marks a central turning point in European history: the end of war and National Socialist tyranny. At the same time, it is still a date that is remembered and interpreted in different ways today.
To mark the 81st anniversary of the end of the war, the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst is inviting visitors to take part in a diverse program that combines historical perspectives with personal approaches to remembering 8 May.
Every year, the focus is on remembering the liberation from National Socialism and the individual commemoration of the victims of German crimes during the Second World War.
All events are free of charge.
PROGRAMME
Commented film screenings in the cinema - The signing of the capitulation in historical film footage12.30 pm / 3.30 pm / 5.00 pm
Correspondents from various countries reported on the signing of the capitulation on May 8 in Berlin-Karlshorst. The journalistic documentation of the day using photos and film footage is rich in detail. It begins, for example, with the arrival of the delegations of the victorious powers at Tempelhof Airport or accompanies their journey to Karlshorst through the destroyed city of Berlin.
Short guided tours to the historic site of the surrender on May 8, 1945
public tours in German, Russian, English, Ukrainian, Polish and French.
Exact times
It is not necessary to register in advance to take part in a public guided tour.
guided tours for groups can take place by appointment from 10.00-14.00. Please send group bookings to:
Special guided tours of the open-air exhibition "The German Surrender in May 1945": Faces of the Surrender11.00 am / 6.15 pm
A guided tour of the open-air exhibition "The German Surrender in May 1945" focuses on the biographies of men and women who were present at the signing of the surrender. Their lives and memories provide personal access to a central moment in European history.
Reading café - The end of the war in Europe in international newspapers10.00-18.00
The news of the capitulation of the German Reich went around the world. Historical newspapers and magazines bear witness to this event. In the reading café - in the museum's winter garden - visitors are invited to browse through international press products over coffee and cake.
Interactive art installation "Nachhall 8./9. Mai"2.00 pm / 4.00 pm / 6.00 pm
The interactive art installation "Nachhall 8./9. Mai" by historian Dora Busch and artist Jeremy Knowles looks at the end of the Second World War from different perspectives. Sun sails bring excerpts from the archives into the present and street interviews, music and historical finds are interwoven in joint "listening sessions". Walking together through the museum garden creates a space for sound, thoughts and an open dialog about historical events and their significance for the present.
Survey: Your thoughts on remembering on May 810:00-18:00
The exchange of personal and family perspectives is part of a survey on remembering May 8.
Evening event: May 8 as a place of remembrance. A pan-German perspective7.00 pm
On May 8, the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst invites you to an evening event entitled "May 8 as a Place of Remembrance. An all-German perspective". The focus will be on the question of how the memory of the end of the war in East and West Germany differs, relates to each other and continues to have an impact today. What role do East German influences play in this - especially in the once again virulent debate about East German identities?
Historical experiences in dealing with the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation as well as their interpretation in current political discussions will be addressed. At the same time, the question of what significance remembrance has for a democratic self-image in Germany will be addressed. The event invites you to make different perspectives visible and put them up for debate.
With:Prof. Dr. Martin Sabrow (Professor emeritus, Humboldt University of Berlin; former Director of the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam),Ines Geipel (author and former university lecturer),Dr. Jörg Morré (Director of the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst),Moderation: Andreas Ulrich (television and radio journalist)
To attend the evening lecture, please register at . The number of places is limited.
Book sale: Individual museum publications will be available free of charge or at reduced prices on May 8.
The permanent exhibition is open 10:00-20:00.Translated with DeepL
May 8 marks a central turning point in European history: the end of war and National Socialist tyranny. At the same time, it is still a date that is remembered and interpreted in different ways today.
To mark the 81st anniversary of the end of the war, the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst is inviting visitors to take part in a diverse program that combines historical perspectives with personal approaches to remembering 8 May.
Every year, the focus is on remembering the liberation from National Socialism and the individual commemoration of the victims of German crimes during the Second World War.
All events are free of charge.
PROGRAMME
Commented film screenings in the cinema - The signing of the capitulation in historical film footage12.30 pm / 3.30 pm / 5.00 pm
Correspondents from various countries reported on the signing of the capitulation on May 8 in Berlin-Karlshorst. The journalistic documentation of the day using photos and film footage is rich in detail. It begins, for example, with the arrival of the delegations of the victorious powers at Tempelhof Airport or accompanies their journey to Karlshorst through the destroyed city of Berlin.
Short guided tours to the historic site of the surrender on May 8, 1945
public tours in German, Russian, English, Ukrainian, Polish and French.
Exact times
It is not necessary to register in advance to take part in a public guided tour.
guided tours for groups can take place by appointment from 10.00-14.00. Please send group bookings to:
Special guided tours of the open-air exhibition "The German Surrender in May 1945": Faces of the Surrender11.00 am / 6.15 pm
A guided tour of the open-air exhibition "The German Surrender in May 1945" focuses on the biographies of men and women who were present at the signing of the surrender. Their lives and memories provide personal access to a central moment in European history.
Reading café - The end of the war in Europe in international newspapers10.00-18.00
The news of the capitulation of the German Reich went around the world. Historical newspapers and magazines bear witness to this event. In the reading café - in the museum's winter garden - visitors are invited to browse through international press products over coffee and cake.
Interactive art installation "Nachhall 8./9. Mai"2.00 pm / 4.00 pm / 6.00 pm
The interactive art installation "Nachhall 8./9. Mai" by historian Dora Busch and artist Jeremy Knowles looks at the end of the Second World War from different perspectives. Sun sails bring excerpts from the archives into the present and street interviews, music and historical finds are interwoven in joint "listening sessions". Walking together through the museum garden creates a space for sound, thoughts and an open dialog about historical events and their significance for the present.
Survey: Your thoughts on remembering on May 810:00-18:00
The exchange of personal and family perspectives is part of a survey on remembering May 8.
Evening event: May 8 as a place of remembrance. A pan-German perspective7.00 pm
On May 8, the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst invites you to an evening event entitled "May 8 as a Place of Remembrance. An all-German perspective". The focus will be on the question of how the memory of the end of the war in East and West Germany differs, relates to each other and continues to have an impact today. What role do East German influences play in this - especially in the once again virulent debate about East German identities?
Historical experiences in dealing with the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation as well as their interpretation in current political discussions will be addressed. At the same time, the question of what significance remembrance has for a democratic self-image in Germany will be addressed. The event invites you to make different perspectives visible and put them up for debate.
With:Prof. Dr. Martin Sabrow (Professor emeritus, Humboldt University of Berlin; former Director of the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam),Ines Geipel (author and former university lecturer),Dr. Jörg Morré (Director of the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst),Moderation: Andreas Ulrich (television and radio journalist)
To attend the evening lecture, please register at . The number of places is limited.
Book sale: Individual museum publications will be available free of charge or at reduced prices on May 8.
The permanent exhibition is open 10:00-20:00.Translated with DeepL
Next date:
Public transportation
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Bus
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Museum Karlshorst
- 296
- N40
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Köpenicker Allee
- 296
- N40
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Rheinpfalzallee
- 296
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Waldowallee
- 296
- N40
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Neuwieder Str.
- 296
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Kötztinger Str.
- 296
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Museum Karlshorst
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