Industry and forced labor under National Socialism
The exhibition "Made in Germany" focuses on products from German industry between 1939 and 1945 - manufactured in companies that were involved in the Nazi forced labor system.
Tomasz Lewandowski's photographs show these objects in a precise, objective visual language: technical devices, everyday objects, branded products - staged as aesthetic artifacts of a historical system. They are complemented by original objects that make the material reference to history directly tangible. Accompanying background texts shed light on the role of the companies that created the products on display - companies that profited from forced labor and many of whose names are still known today.
The exhibition asks: How did the "Made in Germany" label come about? What economic and human conditions underpinned its success? The leading position of German industry in the post-war economic miracle was based not least on the innovations and structures of the war years. The Nazi forced labor system was an elementary component of the economy of the "Third Reich". By photographically "illuminating" these objects, the exhibition makes a contribution to the culture of remembrance - and at the same time builds a bridge to the present: even today, low production costs in a globalized world are often associated with the exploitation of people and nature.
"Made in Germany" invites visitors to reflect on responsibility, remembrance and industrial production - both yesterday and today.