Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen e.V. is an organisation for remembrance, education and culture based in Görlitz. Its work is closely connected to the history of the former German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag VIII A in what is now Zgorzelec. The association focuses on historical and civic education, remembrance work, international youth exchange, and projects at the intersection of history, art and music. Together with the Polish Foundation Remembrance, Education, Culture, the association is committed to researching and communicating the history of Stalag VIII A and to developing the site as a place of international exchange.

Stalag VIII A existed from 1939 to 1945 and was a multinational prisoner-of-war camp. Around 120,000 prisoners of war from different countries were registered there, and approximately 12,000 did not survive their imprisonment. Many prisoners were assigned to labour detachments and subjected to forced labour under different conditions. The history of the camp therefore reflects central aspects of National Socialist rule and the Second World War, including imprisonment, forced labour, racist hierarchies and the different conditions to which prisoners were subjected on the basis of Nazi national and racial classifications.

Meetingpoint’s educational work starts from this history and connects the study of historical events and individual experiences with questions relevant to contemporary society. Its educational programmes are aimed at school students, university students, youth groups and young adults from Germany, Poland and other European countries. They include guided tours, workshops and multi-day educational formats. Historical sources and individual biographies are incorporated into the programmes, while methods of historical and civic education are combined with international youth and exchange work.

German-Polish cooperation is a particular focus of the association’s work. The former camp site is now located on Polish territory and represents a place where German, Polish and European history are directly connected. The European Centre for Remembrance, Education and Culture, which opened in 2015, is jointly operated by the Polish Foundation Remembrance, Education, Culture and Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen. It serves as a venue for educational programmes, international projects, seminars, workshops, cultural events and encounters.

Another important focus of the association’s work is the history of the French composer Olivier Messiaen. Messiaen was imprisoned at Stalag VIII A during the Second World War. His “Quartet for the End of Time” was composed there and first performed in the camp on 15 January 1941. Since 2008, Meetingpoint has commemorated this event with an annual concert. Since 2017, these concerts have formed part of the multi-day Messiaen Days, which place music in dialogue with history and remembrance.

Music and art are therefore not treated solely as forms of cultural expression, but are connected with engagement with history and remembrance. In addition to the Messiaen Days, the association organises concerts, lectures, exhibitions and other cultural and educational activities. At the same time, it works on the history of the former camp and its external labour detachments, as well as the associated history of Nazi forced labour in the city of Görlitz.

The association’s work thus connects historical engagement with international exchange and education addressing contemporary issues. Stalag VIII A is understood as a historical site of violence and a place of remembrance, while also serving as a starting point for educational work, cultural exchange and engagement with questions of human rights, democracy and social responsibility.

Since its foundation in 2007, the association has become an established part of cross-border cooperation in the Görlitz-Zgorzelec region. Through its educational projects, international exchanges, cultural events and joint work at the Stalag VIII A site, Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen connects historical remembrance with European exchange and cultural participation.