[1] Wende (pronounced “venda”) is a German word that translates into English as “transformation.” It commonly refers to the era of uncertainty and possibility leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Embracing a spirit of continual transformation as part of its mission, the Wende aspires to reach beyond the conventional walls of a museum, placing equal value on international scholarship, community engagement, digital access, and creative experimentation.

[15] The Wende's collections are a resource for learning about the vanishing cultural, political, and artistic histories of the former East Bloc countries,[16] the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Cuba.

The collection ranges from consumer products[17] (e.g., computers, radios, records, toiletries, foodstuff) to works of modern and contemporary art in all media (e.g., paintings, drawings, sculptures, graphics, photographs), iconic political symbols (e.g., statuary, medals, flags, uniforms, commemorative gifts), and archives—including a substantial gift from East German leader Erich Honecker's estate[18]—and some 3,500 16mm documentary, animation, and educational films as well as home movies from the GDR.

The museum contains large collections of furniture, flags and banners, commemorative plates, communist folk art, menus, family albums, and design items.