Film still for "Die schwarze Galeere"

The DEFA Foundation

Preserving the cinematic heritage of the GDR is one of the DEFA Foundation’s main responsibilities. This is not merely an administrative responsibility, but a challenging and multifaceted one. The following pages present the charitable foundation through its tasks, its difficult founding history, the various entities, and introduce the staff.

Film still for "Der kleine Prinz"

What is the DEFA Foundation?

The aim of the foundation, which was founded in 1998, is to preserve DEFA films and make them usable for the public, as well as to promote German cinematic art and culture.

Portrait
Film still for "Alle meine Mädchen"

The DEFA Foundation Staff

Who works at the Foundation?

Experienced and passionate professionals, who take care of the DEFA legacy, work in Foundation’s different areas.

The Team
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One of the Foundation’s most important bodies

Board of Trustees

The supervisory board of the DEFA Foundation changes every three years and currently consists of nine members.

Board of Trustees
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Bylaws

On which legal basis does the Foundation work?

Statutes approved by the Board of Trustees and approved by the Berlin Foundation Supervisory Authority forms the basis of the Foundation’s work.

Bylaws
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History of the DEFA Foundation

How was the DEFA Foundation established?

It was founded nine years after reunification. In 1990, the first attempt at its founding failed because of a few hurdles. The cohesion of the film stock and the filmmakers’ wishes were always considered.

History
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