Palaces for the State Visitor – Schönhausen and AugustusburgPalaces for the State Visitor. State visits in the divided Germany

The exhibition is under the auspices of the Federal President of Germany, Joachim Gauck

Special exhibition, April 1st – July 3, 2016

In May of 1965, Federal President Heinrich Lübke received Queen Elizabeth II with highest honors in Brühl, near Bonn: It was to be the most resplendent state visit so far in the history of the still young Federal Republic. One year later, in June of 1966, Hungarian General Secretary János Kádár visited East Berlin, the first official guests in the newly instituted guesthouse of the GDR Council of Ministers.

Two state visits – two opposing political systems – two palaces.

After World War II and the founding of the two states in Germany, both countries vied for international recognition. In the West and in the East, state visits were relied upon as being effective means for presenting one’s own country in the international arena. Two palaces became the stage for these diplomatic efforts: Schönhausen Palace in Berlin and Augustusburg Palace in Brühl, near Bonn.

With festive state banquets, receptions hosted for the diplomatic corps, and the exchange of gifts, the respective heads of government endeavored to impress their guests – very consciously so in the magnificent 18th-century palace rooms.

This exhibition, which is being shown at both historical sites, pits the representational locations of two opposing political systems against each other. It focuses on the different roles each of the palaces had to fulfill: Schönhausen as the State Guest House of the GDR Government, Augustusburg as the splendid backdrop for state receptions of the Federal Government.

Numerous photographs, film excerpts, and sound bytes illustrate the protocol procedures for state visits in East and West, shedding light on the political goals they were to reach. Authentic objects – among these, a selection of gifts from heads of state and a festively laid table – afford a very special view to the self-presentation and self-perception of both German states.

At Augustusburg Palace, the exhibition will be shown from July 31 to November 1st, 2016.

In cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Site Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl

Additional information on the division of Germany can be found at the Berlin Wall Memorial website www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de.