Foreigners and homeland: Weimar celebrates the Festival of Migration!

Foreigners and homeland: Weimar celebrates the Festival of Migration!

Things will be colorful and varied in Weimar next Friday, as the “Foreign [and] Home” festival starts and will bring over 30 exciting events on the topic of migration until Sunday. From lectures and panel discussions to film screenings and staged readings, there is something for every taste. The entire program is led by Andreas Braune, an experienced historian and festival director, who highlights the crucial role of migration in German history. Braune emphasizes that migration is not just a current issue, but is deeply rooted in Germany's past.

The festival, which was planned before the controversial “cityscape” debate by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, aims to objectify the discussion about migration. At the Mon ami cultural center, the event will open with a special conversation between Michel Friedman and Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow - a discussion about the question: "How do you find home?"

A look back and forward

Over the last 15 years, the festival has established itself as a permanent fixture and continues to offer new perspectives on the topic of migration. Historical components are indispensable: Germany was a country of emigrants in the 19th century, while many Germans were forced into exile during the Nazi era. Even after the war, the flight and expulsion of Germans shaped migration stories. The GDR period was also characterized by migration, with many people moving from East to West Germany. These historical events are now being incorporated into the programming, which focuses particularly on German migration stories of the recent past.

The festival also pays particular attention to an event that addresses questions surrounding being German and Europe. This gives visitors the opportunity to reflect on their own thoughts on the topic of migration and identity and to exchange ideas.

Diversity in the program

The variety of events ranges from interesting tours to special places to pub quizzes and appealing film screenings. This different programming is made possible through the support of the Places of German Democratic History Foundation, the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the city of Weimar. With every year the importance of the festival grows, not only for Weimar, but for the entire country.

The organizers have a good hand at the festival, tackling an important social issue with a lot of passion. Not only is there one more reason to question your own views on migration, but also the chance to get to know new perspectives and talk to each other.

With its diverse program, the festival is firmly determined to show migration in a new light and to promote encounters with one's own history. Valuable impulses and expanded horizons await all participants.