Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen e.V.

Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen was founded in 2006 on three pillars: the remembrance of the former German POW camp Stalag VIIIA, the remembrance of Olivier Messiaen, who composed the “Quartet for the End of Time” while he was imprisoned in the camp, and the present as well as future-oriented work with young people, which aims at transferring historical knowledge related to the region, shaping civic attitudes and raising awareness of the importance of regional identity. By organising and carrying out educational projects over a period of 10 years, the association has built up a partner network of associations, memorial sites and local government organisations in the Polish-German-Czech border region. The main aim of the cooperation between Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen and the Memory, Education, Culture is to create, at the European Centre situated in the former Stalag VIIIA, a place that would accommodate and merge the aforementioned fields of Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen and the Foundation’s activities. Since 2007, both the Association and the Foundation have continually strived towards close operational cooperation and development of the Stalag VIIIA Memorial as a meeting place for people of different nationalities, coming from varied ethnic, cultural and social groups. The Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen Association is the Foundation’s main partner in implementing cross-border projects to foster cooperation between Poles and Germans in the Polish-Saxon border region.

Municipality of Zgorzelec

The Municipality of Zgorzelec is a local government unit and an authority running educational and cultural institutions in Zgorzelec (Cultural Centre, Łużyckie Museum, Municipal Library). The commune supports the Foundation’s project-related activities organizationally, coordinates the cooperation between its subordinate cultural units for the needs of the Foundation, and monitors the process of cooperation of its subordinate institutions with other cultural centres in the borderland area to support the Foundation’s projects. It informs the residents of Zgorzelec about the activities of the Foundation and supports the promotion of its projects in the region.

The Municipality of Zgorzelec is an active member of the Council of the Memory, Education, Culture Foundation and participates in all its plans and activities.

Zgorzelec Commune

Zgorzelec Commune is a local government unit and an authority running educational and cultural institutions in Zgorzelec Commune, such as kindergartens and schools, community centres, libraries. Zgorzelec Commune supports and coordinates the organization of activities of its subordinate units in applying for EU funds. Each project implemented by the Commune and its subordinate units is widely presented in the media and serves as an excellent means of promotion for the region. Zgorzelec Commune is currently implementing a project directly connected with the infrastructure of the former Stalag VIIIA: “Adventure with the Nysa: tourism development of the Polish-German borderland”.

Zgorzelec Commune is an active member of the Council of the Memory, Education, Culture Foundation and participates in all its activities.

Zgorzelec Starosty

The poviat of Zgorzelec, comprising seven communes, is a local government unit in the border region of three countries: Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Through its activities, the Starosty (poviat authority) builds good neighbourly cooperation, and by implementing and cooperating on cross-border projects, it strengthens the regional identity of its population. The long-standing cooperation between the Starosty of Zgorzelec and the district of Görlitz creates space for Polish-German dialogue and supports the idea of the European City of Görlitz-Zgorzelec. The District Starosty of Zgorzelec is an active member of the Council of the Memory, Education, Culture Foundation, participating in and supporting all its activities.