Right now we're standing in front of the building that is known to the people as that
palace of tears, in German "Tränenpalast". This is a building that is very important for the history of the German division and especially for the city of Berlin.
Here the museum presents the history of the place and the history of the everyday life of the German division during 1945 and 1990.
The main aim of this exhibition is not to tell you the events and the political events story
of the time from nineteen forty-five to 1990. What we focus on are the details, are the everyday stories of the people that had to live during that time.
So after you were checked at the custom control, you had to go through this booth. So it
is a very frightening moment when you enter this booth and when you are standing in front the
officer in charge to check your passport and so everybody who went through this place
remembers this cabin and this situation very much. That was the noise that was necessary to finally go from East Berlin to West Berlin.
This is a very emotional place and this is also the place where people start to talk to each other. Even though they don't know each other to exchange stories to exchange memories that are very much connected to this very special place here in East Berlin.