Refugees Welcome!? The Controversial Topic of Migration in German Museums

Abstract

This article deals with the representation of migration in German museums. Three exhibitions are examined, all of which dealt with the topic of migration in the year 2018. The exhibitions included are: “2 Million Years of Migration” presented in the Archaeological Museum Hamburg, “Survival Stories” from A to Z in the House of History Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart, and “Forum Migration”, shown in the German Emigration Center Bremerhaven. The essay shows that all three exhibitions purposefully participated in the public debate on migration and brought new perspectives and elements into the discussion. However, both the focal points of the exhibitions and the presentation were different. They either concentrated on the fate of migrants who came to Germany in recent years or considered the overall picture of migration and presented it as a core element of human development. Presentations were based on the exhibition of personal belongings of migrants, on hands-on activities or multimedia installations that allowed visitors to get involved.