The exhibition at the Haus der Geschichte Bonn shows how skateboarding gained a foothold as a sporting trend and rebellious lifestyle in both German states from the 1980s onwards. In the GDR, skaters were known as “rollerboarders” and had to improvise — professional equipment was almost never available. Skating meant freedom, risk and community and for a long time was mainly characterised by men. The exhibition impresses with photographs by Helge Tscharn, Thomas Kalak and Harald Schmitt: they capture the urban attitude to life, the tricks of the skaters and the reactions of the public. It is particularly exciting to see how skaters reinterpret and utilise urban spaces such as monuments or empty buildings for their art.
The creativity of East German skaters is documented, among other things, by a self-made skateboard — a symbol of inventiveness in times of scarcity. Donald Campbell from Düsseldorf launched professional skateboards on the market in the 1980s and toured numerous skate parks with his board. His legendary board can also be seen in the exhibition. Until February 2026, “Skaters & Rollerboarders before and after German reunification” offers a lively insight into a scene that tells a piece of contemporary German history from a new perspective.
