Brianna Selph

Brianna Selph: Museum Curation Internship in Berlin

German and History student, Brianna Selph, shares her experience of interning for the DDR Museum in Berlin, Germany

My name is Brianna Selph, I had the opportunity to intern at the DDR Museum in Berlin, Germany. When I was 19 years old, I took 18 months off from my studies, moved around Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, attempted to learn German, immersed myself in German culture, and marveled as my passion for German history grew. Upon returning to university, I decided to study History and German Studies and am currently a year away from finishing my bachelor’s degree. After my bachelor's, I plan to pursue a master’s program in Museum Studies.

I love the role that museums, particularly history museums, play in society and in the learning process. The DDR Museum focuses on what everyday life was like in former East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was drawn to the DDR Museum not only because I find DDR history fascinating, but also because the DDR Museum has a reputation as one of the world’s best interactive museums. I loved the DDR Museum’s motto, “a hands-on experience of history,” because of the active role it encourages its visitors to take in their learning. The personalized physical experiences visitors have with history allow them to “take” something home with them after they leave the museum. History becomes real through personal interaction in museums and therefore impacts visitors' lives more than a lecture, book, tour, or movie can.

These types of experiences are what excite me about museums. In September 2018, I started my internship at the DDR Museum, mainly working in the Press and Public Relations department but also trying my hand at other areas of museum work. I’ve translated text panels, ran social media campaigns, participated in various events, helped take down and set up exhibits, researched and contacted travel guide publishing houses to promote nineties berlin, and spent a week in the collections familiarizing myself with a new storage and database system. Through these experiences, I’ve seen how each department and employee contribute to one overarching goal: to create a museum for people to learn and enjoy.

My time interning at the DDR Museum has taught me a lot. I have learned more about public history, about the GDR and the decade that followed, as well as the importance of museums in our society and the complex work that goes into making a great museum. I am grateful for the opportunities the DDR Museum allowed me to have through my internship!

Berlin, Fall 2018