We took a quick trip up to the Museum Mile in Bonn to visit the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. This is a museum devoted to the history of the Germany since the forming of republic following WWII.
The museum is organized so that you feel you are walking through a time line starting in 1945 to the present. The initial displays then are about the liberation and occupation. There you can see photos and videos of the state of the German cities following the war, artifacts from the occupation, and exhibits about the Berlin airlifts. This period also includes coming to grips with the atrocities of the war.
The exhibits then flow into formation of republic, the political parties, and the division of Germany. From this point as you walk along the time line, there are displays showing the results of each German election to orient you along the time lines. Along the time line are presented displays illustrating the life in Germany and the forces effecting that life. These include things like the cultural influences, the political forces in play, the products being produced, immigration, and, of course, reunification.
Many exhibits are interactive, allowing you to experience the sights and sounds of the time. There is, of course, the video of John F. Kennedy in Berlin. Also a 1950 VW Beatle with its split rear window, a BMW Zeta, Zeiss Optics, interviews with immigrants and rock music.
It really is a nice museum, and it is free. You can buy a guide to the exhibition to 3€ that can help follow the displays. But even without that, there is much that someone without good knowledge of the German language can enjoy here.
You said "German" three or four times in this post where I would have said "Germany" (because the usage was as a noun). Why?
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