Entrepreneurs of memory: Selling history in the GDR Museum shop in Berlin

Abstract

The field of memory studies rarely deals with commercial enterprises, which, as we argue in this article, play just as prominent a role in shaping collective memories as state actors or nongovernmental organizations. The aim of our study is therefore to discuss the role of private entrepreneurs and their businesses in the context of GDR memory. We focus on the privately run GDR Museum in Berlin and its best-selling products. Through the lens of the museum store, we analyze the exhibition, an iconic eggcup, and a book on the history of the GDR that has enjoyed sustained sales over a lengthy period. By tracing the intertwined distribution chains of these memory goods, we emphasize the importance of private entrepreneurs and their networks in the current German memory culture. We argue that economic interests and developments are just as important as political decisions and public institutions regarding the memory of the communist past. Thus memory studies should also focus on enterprises of memory by analyzing business data. This poses an empirical challenge that is worth tackling, since it broadens our understanding of current memory culture.