Meeting of Kennedy and Khrushchev at the Soviet Embassy in Vienna | © John Fitzgerald Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
60 years ago, in October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of a nuclear war. The declassification of many secret primary sources in the past decades makes it possible to provide a much more accurate description and a deeper context of these decisive “Thirteen Days.” President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who bear some responsibility for the dangerous crisis, tried to avoid a nuclear confrontation at all costs. They learned crucial lessons, started to build trust, and worked on détente agreements.
The Cuban Missile Crisis not only signifies the most dangerous confrontation during the Cold War, but can also help to learn about crisis management and crisis resolution that are once again of special relevance today.
The exhibition was curated by students of the Amerika-Institut of LMU under the direction of historian Dr. Andreas Etges, a leading expert on the Kennedy presidency, and Alexandra Schenke, in cooperation with the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst.
The exhibition opening takes place on Friday, 14 October 2022 at 7 p.m. (no registration required).
Program accompanying the exhibition
Panel discussion on 17 October 2022, 7 p.m. (in German):
Als die Welt am Abgrund stand: Die Kubakrise 1962
“Goddam dangerous”: The Cuban Missile Crisis revisited on 27 October 2022, 7 p.m.
A stage reading of historical documents
Corresponding to the special exhibit on the Cuban Missile Crisis, a stage reading offers a glance behind the scenes of these fateful days in October 1962. Under the direction of Alexandra Schenke, a historian at the Amerika-Institut of LMU Munich with degrees in acting and film, students of the Amerika-Institut will simulate some of the tensest moments and exchanges of the crisis. The stage reading, conceived in collaboration with Dr. Andreas Etges, is based on excerpts from speeches and letters by John F. Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Fidel Castro, secret recordings of Kennedy’s crisis team and other primary sources. Reimagined and respoken, they will be brought to life on stage within a framework of classic theater and multimedia elements, providing a special experience of this historical event 60 years later.
The exhibition is open until Friday, 23 December 2022. Admission is free.