Join us as we guide children and young people through our exhibitions.
People often ask whether the museum is suitable for children. Our answer is yes. We believe it is important for children and teenagers to engage with challenging topics such as the military, war and violence, together with the adults in their lives. Our exhibitions offer space and inspiration for discussing these issues. We therefore ask that children and young people be accompanied through the exhibitions.
Join Pat, George and Dakota the dachshund on an exciting journey of discovery through our exhibition! You will find 3D images over 100 years old, a large sliding puzzle, a telescope with interactive search challenges, digitized letters from the front and a walk-in bunker. Whenever you see the dachshund, the activities are aimed especially at families and children.
This soldier in British uniform is loosely based on a comic strip character created by the Russian-German painter, graphic artist and illustrator Oleg Alexandrovich Zinger (1909–1997). His comic strips featuring Gatow George appeared a few years after the Second World War in the Gatow base newspaper AIR LINE, which was printed for the British personnel at the airfield.
The character Pat is based on the British woman Phyllis Mary Parsons (1920–2005). During the Berlin Airlift, she was a senior officer in the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF) at Gatow. As a token of gratitude for the supplies delivered in 1948–49, the British personnel stationed in Gatow were often presented with gifts by the people of West Berlin. The staff in the control tower, for example, received a long-haired dachshund puppy, which was named after a type of aircraft that played a vital role in the airlift: Dakota. The dog became the mascot of the local WRAF. Phyllis took on responsibility for the dog.
