Opening date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM
Welcome speech:
Bernard Gaida – Speaker of the Working Group of German Minorities in FUEN and FUEN Vice President
Dr. Petra Loibl – Commissioner of the Bavarian State Government for Resettlers and Expellees (video message)
Prof. Dr. Larysa Didkovska – Rector of the Ukrainian Free University in Munich
Edwin Warkentin – Cultural Advisor for Russian Germans
Prof. Dr. Andreas Otto Weber – Director of the Haus des Deutschen Ostens (HDO)
Speakers:
Volodymyr Leisle – Head of the Council of Germans of Ukraine (Kyiv)
Registration required: +49 (0)89 449993-0 or poststelle(at)hdo.bayern.de
Venue: Haus des Deutschen Ostens, Am Lilienberg 5, 81669 Munich
Exhibition dates: October 29, 2025 – February 27, 2026
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Organized in cooperation with: The Council of Germans of Ukraine (Kyiv)
The project “Virtual Museum of the Black Sea Germans” digitally preserves the cultural heritage of the German minority in the Black Sea region — particularly in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson. It documents endangered sites — such as churches, cemeteries, and historic settlements — through photography, video, and VR recordings. Many of these places, including the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, have been damaged or destroyed by the war.
The museum digitizes archival materials and develops a multilingual online platform featuring maps, exhibits, and eyewitness stories. It serves as a reminder of the destruction of cultural heritage and honors the contribution of the Black Sea Germans to Ukraine. Furthermore, the museum promotes intercultural dialogue, academic cooperation, and reflection on memory and responsibility. Its mission is to preserve, build, and strengthen identity, as well as to encourage cultural exchange and postwar tourism.
The project was supported within the House of Europe program with assistance from the European Union, and is implemented by the Council of Germans of Ukraine in partnership with Ukrainian and international collaborators.
