Overview

• The volunteer-run museum held its final public opening this weekend in its S‑Bahn arch near Bellevue and will keep the space through the end of the year to wind down operations.
• Management says the privately run institution lacks regular public funding and had multiple project funding applications rejected this year.
• Visitor numbers dropped significantly after the COVID pandemic while energy and operating costs increased, rendering continued operation unsustainable.
• The team is weighing options for the roughly 3,500 salvaged letters and signage, from temporary storage to a potential institutional partner that could exhibit them.
• Donations are still being sought as ongoing expenses continue and repayment of substantial pandemic aid remains outstanding.