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Cold War Museum Event/ Exhibit Press Release
February 5, 2004
The Cold War Museum- Midwest Chapter proudly announces the opening of its mobile KGB/ Stasi Prison cell door
exhibition at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, March 12, 2004. The
event will open with a reception at 5:00pm followed by a presentation by two former East German Stasi prisoners at
6:00pm. The event is open to the public with no formal admission charge. However, donations made to the Cold War Museum effort are kindly appreciated. A cash bar will be available.
Werner I. Juretzko and John Van Altena, both former prisoners of the East German regime, will discuss their confinement
in one of the world's most deplorable prison systems. Mr. Juretzko was convicted of espionage for Western intelligence in
1955, serving six years of an original thirteen- year sentence before his release. Mr. Van Altena, an American citizen, was
convicted in 1962 to serve six- years in confinement. His crime was the intent of smuggling a family out of East Berlin
through Checkpoint Charlie in a secret compartment of his car. He had served over 18 months before his release was negotiated successfully from the East German government.
About the Exhibit
The cell door originates from the former KGB/ Stasi underground interrogation prison in East Berlin (Hohenschoenhausen)
. The exhibit is complete with an authentic prison guard uniform and prison garbs of a maximum-security prisoner. A
supplemental display shows the prison's location in Berlin as well as images of a guillotine used to execute political
prisoners of the regime. Together each piece of this extraordinary compilation of genuine, rare East German artifacts
forms a Cold War mobile exhibition for the Midwest Chapter. The exhibit was previously on loan to the Safe House
Newsroom, home of the Milwaukee Press Club, and is on display for an indefinite period of time in the main lobby of the
Milwaukee County War Memorial Center. The Center is located adjacent to the attractive Milwaukee Art Museum at 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive on Milwaukee's beautiful lakefront.
For questions about the event or exhibit please contact Chris Sturdevant via email at [email protected] or by
voicemail at 262-227-1198. For more information on the Cold War Museum- Midwest Chapter please visit www.freewebs.com/coldwar .
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