The Century of Displacement - A European history of forced migrations from the 20th century to our time

Around 700 exhibits are on display across approximately 1,500 square metres of exhibition space spread over two floors. Most of the original items come from the Documentation Centre’s collection. These are supplemented by 45 international loans. 140 maps aid geographical orientation, whilst 250 photographs bring this complex subject to life. There are 65 media stations, some of which are interactive.

A European history of forced migration

On the first floor, six themed sections provide an introduction and an overview of the subject. They can be explored in any order. Drawing on numerous examples from the 20th century to the present day, this section examines the causes, phenomena and consequences of forced migration, primarily in Europe – but also beyond. Germans are presented to the public both as perpetrators and as victims of displacement. Films, images and artefacts bring the experiences of refugees and displaced persons vividly to life.

How are the concept of the nation and nationalism linked? Why are minorities particularly often affected by expulsions? How has it come about that expulsions are now internationally criminalised? What experiences do refugees and displaced persons go through whilst fleeing? What does life in camps mean for these people? How do they manage to make a fresh start after losing their homeland? And why is the memory of forced migration often so controversial?

The Flight and Expulsion of the Germans

The second floor explores in greater depth the flight and expulsion of the Germans. A chronological tour guides visitors through three consecutive sections.

The exhibition begins by addressing Nazi policy, the Second World War, the German occupation of Europe and the murder of European Jews. A wall-to-wall installation documents the Allies’ plans for the expulsion of Germans during the war, right up to the decisions taken at the Potsdam Conference. Drawing on often personal accounts, the exhibition then turns to the evacuations and the mass flight of Germans from the Red Army.

The second section focuses on expulsions as a means of reorganising Europe by the victorious powers and the East and Central European states. Around 14 million Germans from the former German eastern territories and the South-Eastern European settlement areas were affected, as were millions of people from Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. Through numerous exhibits from the Documentation Centre’s collection and on loan from lenders in Germany and abroad, personal experiences and fates are brought to life.

The third section centres on the arrival and resettlement of 12.5 million people who reached the occupation zones in Germany as a result of flight and expulsion. Through numerous original artefacts, documents and multimedia stations, the gradual – and not always straightforward – integration of the displaced persons into the societies of the Federal Republic and the GDR is depicted. Particular emphasis is placed on the culture of remembrance. An impressive display case presents 251 objects from a former Sudeten German ‘Heimatstube’ in Gärtringen near Stuttgart.

The permanent exhibition concludes with a European epilogue. It touches upon the milestones of a new political order since the end of the Cold War, Germany’s reconciliation with its European neighbours, and the resurgence of flight, expulsion and ethnic cleansing in Europe brought about by the Yugoslav Wars. The history of the founding of the Foundation for Flight, Expulsion and Reconciliation is also covered.

• Free admission