The archives of contemporary associations and special archives in the Free State are in the administration of the federal government as well as in the sponsorship of foundations and registered associations. These archives include the Erfurt, Gera and Suhl branch offices of the Federal Commissioner for Documents of the State Security Service of the former GDR. The archive of the Buchenwald Memorial Foundation records and preserves documents documenting both the history of the memorial and the history of the Buchenwald concentration camp and its outposts as well as the history of the special camp that existed here after 1945. Important sources for historical research are the estates of former prisoners, which are acquired and preserved by the archive. Numerous associations deal with the history of opposition and resistance in the former GDR and the history of the German-German border, some of which also maintain museums and collect collections of private individuals or corporations as well as photos, video documentations and special collections in their archives and make them accessible to the public.