Buildings and Themes

Official stamps, applications for naturalization, cash registers: Sooner or later, anyone who moves from one place to another must deal with a complex system of bureaucracy. Whether someone can stay in Germany, and if so, for how long and under what conditions, can be dependent on constantly changing laws. Here in the Waiting Room and the Office, you learn more about the types of migration, as well as about the changing rights of migrants and their experiences dealing with the bureaucracy of employment.

Carnations, banners, signs: The Station Forecourt focuses on examples of protest, activism and resistance by migrants.

Suitcase, compass and passport: Setting off and arriving are key parts of the migrant story. They are also central moments in the memories of migrants themselves. At the Railway Station, you will find more information on saying farewell to an old life and starting a new one, as well as on methods of travel and migratory routes.

Kiosk
Radio, television, newspapers: At the station Kiosk, you can learn about how the media treats the subject of migration, and what influence they can on the wider discourse.

Pasta press, ice cream sundaes, household yarn: As workers, investors and entrepreneurs, migrants help support economic growth. They are also important consumers. Along the Shopping Street, you can learn more about topics such as self-employment, advertising and shopping, and eating habits.

Protective goggles, rheumatism cream, strike call: Whether or not someone can gain a foothold in a new society often depends on them finding a job – or even getting permission to work. In the main hall and in the break room of the Factory, everything revolves around the topic of work, from the recruitment of foreign workers to daily life in the workplace and the role of the trade unions.

Sports trophy, prayer cap, traditional folk costume: Migration helps make a society more culturally diverse. This is true both for individual cultural expressions such as art, literature, film or dance, as well as for the different religions. At the Cultural Center, you will gain an insight into how migration has changed cultural life in Germany.

Satchel, poetry book, class register: The Staff Room focuses on the development of schools and teaching methods relating to migration. In the Classroom, the experiences of pupils, their parents and their teachers further illuminate the topic of migration and education.

Report book, egg pan, mousetrap: Often, migrants are initially housed in shared accommodation such as ‘camps’ or dormitories. In the Dormitory building, you can learn what it was like for residents living together this way. The issue of racism is also addressed here in the context of attacks on the homes of asylum seekers.

Radio, rocking horse, teapot: In the Apartment building, the focus is on private accommodation. Here, you can learn more about what private apartments are like, including the furniture in them. You can also find out more about the challenges that come with living in a socially disadvantaged neighbourhood. Many people with migrant backgrounds experience racism on a daily basis, and discrimination when looking for an apartment is just one example of this.