Collections

The Wende Museum has an unrivaled holdings of cultural artifacts and archives related to the history of the Cold War in the communist states of Eastern Europe, with a special focus on the Soviet Union and East Germany, a country on the front line of a divided Europe during this period.  The contents of its broad collection of over 100,000 items range from Soviet era scrapbooks, textbooks and magazines to toys, posters and musical instruments, all continuously collected and preserved to offer a unique window into the everyday life that was shaped by the Iron Curtain. 
 
Particularly strong collecting areas of the Museum include ceremonial banners and flags, commemorative ceramics, Stasi surveillance equipment, including the entire collection from the East Berlin crossing point opposite Checkpoint Charlie, as well as everyday consumer products.  The Museum also collects Socialist Realist artworks, films and photographs focused on youth culture. 
 
The Museum's acquisition in 2006 of a Berlin Wall segment painted by renowned French-born Berlin-based muralist Thierry Noir was recently augmented by 10 additional sections which constitute the longest stretch of the most infamous symbol of the Cold War outside of Berlin. These newly acquired sections are currently on display in the Museum District of Los Angeles, painted and installed as part of the Wende's recent project organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Read more about our collection in our museum blog, From The Vault.

Researchers can make an appointment by calling 310.216.1600 or emailing to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it