First exhibition on Meissen porcelain in the GDR

The first exhibition on the history of the Meissen porcelain manufactory in the GDR opens in Dresden on Saturday. "The exhibition makes an important contribution to our understanding of German-German history," said Frank Druffner, acting Secretary General of the Kulturstiftung der Länder, which is funding the exhibition with 75,000 euros. It sheds light on the economic relations between the two German states and provides an insight into the conditions of arts and crafts production in the GDR.

The special exhibition "The Blue Swords - Meissen in the GDR" with around 450 exhibits can be seen in the Japanese Palace from September 20 to February 22. The porcelain collection of the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) is showing the eventful history of the world-famous manufactory for the first time, from its reconstruction and dismantling after 1945 to the final years of the GDR. On display, for example, are portraits of Marx and Lenin and a plaque that cosmonaut Sigmund Jähn took into space in 1978.

The show focuses on the tension between the aspiration to produce porcelain for all sections of the population, the prestigious exclusivity and the high cost of the product. The focus is on the artists' collective around Ludwig Zepner, Heinz Werner and Peter Strang with the political mission of finding "new creation from good tradition".