Skateboarding is not just a leisure activity or a sport. It represents a way of life. Since the 1970s, young people in both West Germany and East Germany have been discovering skateboarding.  

The exhibition “Skateboarders before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall” features photographs by “Stern” photographer Harald Schmitt, as well as by scene photographers Thomas Kalak and Helge Tscharn. It is further enriched by numerous photographs and artefacts from both East and West.

Helge Tscharn has been photographing the scene all over Europe for the “Monster Skateboard Magazine” since 1982. Thomas Kalak is a co-founder of the magazine and a professional skater in the early 1980s. Their images show how skaters are reclaiming urban spaces and using them in new ways: Monuments, empty buildings and historical sites become the stage for their tricks. Harald Schmitt photographs young skaters in East Berlin for the magazine “Stern”.

Skateboards from East and West highlight the similarities and differences between the scenes: the West German company “Geist” was already producing skateboards in the 1960s – long before they became a common sight on the streets of West Germany. In the GDR, the “VEB Schokoladenverarbeitungsmaschinen Wernigerode” began manufacturing the first skateboard, the “Germina Speeder”, in 1985. It proved impractical and too expensive for GDR skaters.

Sought-after clothing, homemade skateboards and items from the 1988 “Euroskate” international competition behind the Iron Curtain in Prague paint a varied picture of skateboarders on both sides of the Wall.

A wall covered in skateboards vividly illustrates the creativity of the scene. Photos of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and skateparks as social hubs offer a glimpse into the scene today.