Overview

• On May 28, 2025, Berlin authorities placed the FEZ in Wuhlheide under historic preservation to honor its cultural and architectural value.
• Designed by Günter Stahn and opened in 1979 as Pionierpalast 'Ernst Thälmann', the complex exemplifies GDR modernist architecture.
• For decades the facility served the DDR-Pionierorganisation as a hub for socialist youth education and community events.
• Since 1995 FEZ has operated as a wholly state-owned non-profit and is now one of Europe’s largest centers for children, youth and families.
• The protected listing requires conservation of its 13,000 m² of indoor facilities and 175,000 m² of outdoor grounds hosting educational and cultural programs.