80 years of displacement and expulsion. Stories of fleeing, arriving and remembering in Germany

The memory of the flight and expulsion from the former German eastern territories, the loss of homeland, and the traumatic experiences of displacement and arrival has been passed down through countless family histories. Together with the Representation of the State of Schleswig-Holstein to the Federal Government, we will explore how the situation of expellees in Berlin compared with that in Schleswig-Holstein and consider how present these stories of flight and displacement remain within our families and society today. We will also offer a preview of the special exhibition Refuge Berlin: Refugees and Expellees in the Divided City, which will open in autumn 2027.
 

PROGRAM
Welcome
Sandra Gerken, Representative of the State of Schleswig-Holstein to the Federal Government

Introduction 
Around 14 million German refugees and expellees: how we remember them.
Dr. Roland Borchers, Director, Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, Berlin

Lecture
Refuge Berlin: Displaced Persons and Refugees in the Divided City
Dr. Fabian Kuhn, Curator, Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, Berlin

Lecture
West Berlin associations for expellees in the Stasi’s sights
Dr. Heike Amos, Institute for Contemporary History, Munich

Lecture
A new home in a foreign land: Settling in Schleswig-Holstein
Martin Gietzelt, Historian, Dithmarschen

Discussion
How relevant are the stories of flight within our families and in our society today?
Moderation: Dr. Daniel Hadwiger, Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, Berlin

FURTHER INFORMATION
Einlass: 18.30 p.m. 
Language: German
Location: Regional Representation Schleswig-Holstein, In den Ministergärten 8, 10117 Berlin
FREE ADMISSION

Registration required