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Berlin Refugee Camp Closes After 55 Years

For many, the Marienfelde Refugee Center in Berlin was a first stop-off point, a place where people could prepare for a new life in the West after turning their backs on Communist Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

But the refugee center, which served as a temporary home for close to two million people during its busy 55-year history, closed its doors for good on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Refugee arrivals from eastern Europe have dwindled to a trickle in recent years, negating the usefulness of such a facility.

The Marienfelde camp was set up in 1953 and operated first by US, British and French allied officials and later by West Berlin authorities.

Read entire article at Deutsche Welle