The Wende is an art museum, cultural center, and archive that preserves history and brings it to life through exhibitions, scholarship, education, and community engagement. The Wende is an art museum, cultural center, and archive of the Cold War that explores social, political, and cultural change. The Wende reaches beyond the conventional walls of a museum in pursuit of international scholarship, artistic interpretation, community engagement, digital access, and experimental public programming. Wende is a German word meaning “turning point” that has come to describe the period around the fall of the Berlin Wall. Founded in 2002, the Wende holds an unparalleled collection of art and artifacts from the Cold War era, serving as a foundation for programs that illuminate the political and cultural changes of the past, offer opportunities to make sense of a changing present, and inspire participation in the personal and social changes that will shape the future.