THE DEFA FOUNDATION is a Berlin-based nonprofit organization constituted under German civil law. It was established on December 15, 1998 by the Federal Republic of Germany. At this time, the rights to the DEFA film catalog were transferred to the foundation as capital for its operations. The foundation’s mission is to preserve DEFA films, make them available to the public, and promote German cinematic art and culture. This mission has given rise to the foundation’s slogan “Rediscover the Past—Support the Future” and has led to a diverse and complex field of activity, which includes, above all, the archiving and cataloguing of DEFA films, their restoration and digitization, their use for the public good in Germany and abroad, the presentation of foundation and sponsorship awards, and support for research, studies, and events. Since its launch, the foundation has continued to grow in terms of its staff and activities. Its structures and focuses have evolved in response to the demands placed on modern cultural institutions today. This essay not only provides an overview of the DEFA Foundation’s work but also explains the central challenges it faces due to its institutional mandate. An important role is played by the rapid technological advances that are significantly altering the media world.

The DEFA Foundation consists of two statutory bodies, the Foundation Council and the Board. The Foundation Council is made up of nine members, who are appointed for three years each. They come from the office of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM), the Federal Archives, the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, and the federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony. In addition, the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony each appoint a figure from the cultural sector to complete the Foundation Council. The Board manages the foundation in accordance with its statutes and is committed to using the foundation’s assets and other funds carefully and economically.

The DEFA Film Catalog and the Oral History Archives

Although the state-owned DEFA film studios were privatized after German reunification in 1990, the rights to the films made between 1946 and 1990 were excluded from the privatization process. DEFA’s filmmakers did not want their films to be converted into private property and asked that they instead be transferred to a foundation.