History of the Marienfelde Association

Today’s memorial museum was initiated by employees of the refugee center, former refugees and interested scholars. Soon after the reception center stopped operating, they began collecting objects, documents and other information about the lives of the refugees and the work conducted at Marienfelde.

In October 1993, the group founded the Marienfelde Refugee Centre Museum Association. Its aim was to research and document the site’s history and the history of the German migration movement from 1949 and 1990 and to make its findings accessible to a broad public. In 1994, it was legally recognized as a non-profit association and became responsible for the memorial site which later opened with a small exhibit.

After the permanent exhibition “Flight in Divided Germany” was opened  in 2005, the association entered into negotiations with potential sponsors and the Berlin Wall Association, paving the way for the establishment of the Berlin Wall Foundation.

The association supports the work of the Refugee Centre Memorial and initiates its own projects. The association and its members serve on a voluntary basis.