McNair Museum News

[uscob]

Sadly, today I have to let you all know that the Aera of the Museum at CIF is at it's End. Monday Eve we have to be out of the Museum and as it looks like, the new Museum there will never be build at the promised Point. Yesterday the Houseowner offered 10.000 euros if we decide to leave compound as he's not interested to build the new Museum and the Company will be down by the end of the Year. They still publish catalogs with nice Pictures of the New Museum, but as I allways thought, the whole Loft project at former McNair Barracks is only to get other people's money.
All signed contracts are not worth the paper they're printed on. I'm that angry about these people, it's better that they never meeet me again.
I'll keep you informed when we found a new location, otherwise you can go to www.mcnair-museum.de.
All the best Folks and press your thumbs for us.

[uscob]

Just got this message:

For Americans "press your thumbs" is "cross your fingers".

So thanks for this clarification!!

[Kartofelpreußer]

I'm very sorry to hear this, Nico. When I was able to meet you during my trip to Berlin with my father, one of my few regrets was that I did not have the time to make it out to your museum. I had always hoped I would be able to do it the next time, and I'm deeply saddened that this has come to pass.

I will keep my fingers crossed for a good outcome for you and the museum.

[uscob]

I hope so too!!!!
Today's situation is:
We have a contract for a new Museum for 1.5 Million euros and they say we get 10.000 in all and they don't have to build the Museum or we get nothing. I'll find out the Names and post them here too, to be sure that no German Members get fooled by them. The Investor is from Bremen and nost of the others are of Polish origin. If you search in the Net for Lesley Lofts and take the names for an advanced search you'll find out a lot of them. TO do this, it's a risk to me, as they said if we publish this, they pull us to court, but by giving the public accessable Internet, Info, others did the Job for me. You'll find some interesting info like "Das neue Millionen-Grab in Zehlendorf" (The new million-grave in Zehlendorf) and so on.

[uscob]

Maybe to add, that after the Situation in the last Year on compound, we don't have any money left to go through a Court issue as we can't pay an attourney.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Nico, this is all very sad. I enjoyed visiting your museum back in 2005.

Cheers, Ade.

[uscob]

Some Pics!

[uscob]

Inside.
In the background, you can see the Wall they build while we were in. Thereby they ruined a lot of Uniforms and other Stuff.

[uscob]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...05#post4519405

[uscob]

Update: the Museum is history now at it's old location and we're still looking for something new.
Here's the Translation of the News article.

“McNair Museum Worried About its Future”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o></o>

Memorial Museum to the Three Western Allies in Berlin has to Clear its Rooms- years may pass before a planned building site is finished<o></o>

“Berliner Morgenpost” February 5, 2011<o></o>

<o></o>

by Brigitte Schmiemann<o></o>
(translated by Mariya Fogarasi)<o></o>
<o></o>
It’s cold, the landlord has turned off the heat and the mood of the club members is dark: the friends of the former western allies in Berlin – amongst them many former civilian employees of the US army but also countless US soldiers who have chosen to make Berlin their home, are more than just a little concerned. Their museum which took so many years to establish is in danger of closing for good because the owner of the former McNair Barracks in Lichterfelde, whose rooms they have been able to use, wants to renovate and turn the space into apartments. The club, which has used the space for its exhibits since 1998, has to move out, at least for the time being…but where to store all the inventory which allows visitors to relive the story of postwar Berlin right up until 1994, when the allies departed?<o></o>
<o></o>
On display are American, British and French uniforms and helmets as well as old telephones which once stood in the military offices. Visitors can see typewriters from the Teufelsberg Field Station with dual keyboards for Cyrillic letters and endless paper rolls so that the Cold War radio messages from the Soviets could be recorded as quickly as possible. Thanks to the quick-thinking and long-sighted dedication of former civilians and soldiers alike, much memorabilia ranging from utensils to signs was saved for display. For instance, one sign “No Wall Too High” gave encouragement to radio operators in the Clayallee headquarters. The “Initiativkreis Stiftung Berlin” dedicated another area of the museum to the history of the Armed Forces Network and the German-American “Volksfest” (festival) which took place annually on Hüttenweg . <o></o>
<o></o>
The investors have offered the club two containers in which to store their displays but the club chairman, Peter Kauschke (67) and board member James Calvin Moss (68) fear that this solution won’t work. “If we have to store our exhibits for years, our club will die.”<o></o>
<o></o>
Through an addendum to the sales contract in 2007, previous owners of the property ensured that the club would get space in one of the newer buildings under favorable rental terms, and according to Bartosz Dzbuk, Managing Director of the Lesley Lofts company, this is still planned. However, financing for the project is planned for the existing, older buildings in which 11,000 square meters of living space, consisting of 162 lofts and penthouses will be built (construction began already in December). “The apartments are supposed to be finished by the end of 2012, and the financing of the new museum is supposed to come from the profit, which we will start at the latest in 2013”, explained Dzbuk. <o></o>
<o></o>
The club fears that delays may lead to everything taking much longer than foreseen and thus, members need a solution for the time being to keep their “meeting place” for German- Allied friendship alive. They want to try and rent space in the area, and warehousing/storage capacity is also needed. Unfortunately, the club does not have much money; up until now they paid only EUR 480 in operating costs. General Manager Dzbuk may well pay part of the cost “if it’s within reason as containers for storage would also cost money. Up until now, we had already paid the approx. EUR 1400 heating costs”.<o></o>
<o></o>
The next meeting with District Mayor Norbert Kopp (Christian Democrat) on February 17<SUP>th</SUP> was to have found a solution acceptable to both parties. <o></o>
……………………..<o></o>
Current status on March 16<SUP>th</SUP>: the club moved out on March 10<SUP>th</SUP> and handed over the keys. To date, no further progress has been made. <o></o>
<o></o>
For info: the club has 250 members, mainly former employees of the three western allied powers, who run and maintain the memorial site on the Goerzalle in Lichterfelde, which is also visited by veterans and school classes. The club is also supported by Ted Mohr (86), former translator for General Lucius D. Clay. <o></o>

[uscob]

30 minutes ago!

[uscob]

Good News, we're back in Business. For all who visited the Museum at the Forumd Berlin Trip, it's at the old Location, for all who served there, it's back in the old Stars & Stripes Book Store.
so, in the future I'll let you know about all of the News.

[uscob]

OK Guy's as some of you heard before, we had to move again.
Now we're Oposite of Main Gate McNair, right to the old Motor Pool of 6th, later 502nd Infantry. I'm sitting here right now with a break and unpack Boxes to fix Showcases.
So soon you can visit us again

[uscob]

Hi Guy's,
here are the first Pics from the Construction Site.
There's still a lot to do and to pay, so if you like to come to help or fill the Donation Box, let me know.
Here's the "lounge" with Bar ans seating.

[uscob]

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