Berlin's German Reistance Memorial Center

Answers to questions 1 & 2 are available on the main page of the museum's official site: http://www.gdw-berlin.de/en

Hi, I assume you are referring to the Resistance Museum, ie., Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand on Stauffenbergstrasse. The answer to #3 is true; the explanations to the exhibits are all in German as well as the literature, but nowadays you do have access to an audioguide (Hörführung), don't know if that's free or not since I didn't need one. The museum's exhibits presuppose you have some knowledge of the Prussian-German elites involved in the resistance and that it was not merely a military resistance. Obviously, the museum has expanded since its opening in 1989.

Thanks for both responses. Fred, do you recommend a visit? I do have some knowledge of the subject matter, but whatever limited ability I ever had to read German was lost many years ago.

Hi, Since you are knowledgable in the subject matter and presumably interested in it, I would encourage you to visit the place. The audio guide will help. But the photos of the personalities in the Prussian-German elite I'm sure you'll recognise, some are more esoteric. The museum is the site "the Bendlerblock" which was the HQ for the Replacement Army (Ersatzarmee), Stauffenberg's office, etc. Outside you'll see the poignant memorial. The street was renamed in Stauffenberg's honor. Originally the site (which houses the museum and other offices) was on the Bendlerstrasse am Königsplatz. I would say the one big disadvantage in not having a good knowledge of reading German is the numerous literature behind the front counter, these numbered monographs on a certain aspect of the resistance. They're free for museum visitors.

George, I have read some of Kershaw's works, though not the book you cite. For those who may access this thread, let me say that I have read Anne Nelson's book on the Red Orchestra, which is very well done and which I recommend to those interested in visiting the museum. I suppose reasons to consider going are the history of the location and, as Fred noted, the poignancy of the subject.
I will add that the museum's website does offer in English the biographies of those honored. A reason that I started the thread was to try to find out whether the renovations would include exhibit explanations in English.

I can understand the feeling of being "lost" in the museum prior to the availability of the audioguide. This esoteric museum does presuppose that the visitor has a good knowledge of German, otherwise you won't get very much from what you're seeing, if anything. I think I've been there a total of 3 times, once in 1989..definitely no audioguides back then or literature in any other language but German...maybe twice since 2009. Each time I saw only a few visitors, never saw any anglophones there, or heard any English spoken by visitors...only German. @ Richard...Because of the "poignancy of the subject" you should visit the museum and the grounds. (Notice the reference to 1813) BTW, the works by Kershaw are good.

Hi, If your primary focus is on the military angle of the Opposition and Resistance, then I recommend absolutely two older works essential for a thorough understanding of the subject: Harold C. Deutsch, "The Conspiracy Against Hitler in the Twilight War."
#2. Peter Hoffmann, "The History of the German Resistance" (translated from the German "Widerstand, Staatsstreich, Attentat" 2nd ed.) Both works are scholarly, well researched, professional, and readable.