Call for Contributions – 80th Anniversary: Arrival and Life in Berlin

The Foundation Flight, Expulsion, Reconciliation calls for a thematic collection appeal on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of expulsion and flight. Objects, photos, documents, as well as personal memoirs from refugees and expellees who arrived in Berlin in the first post-war decades, lived here, or passed through the city on their way, are sought. Private applicants have the opportunity to contribute authentic testimonies and everyday documents from the fields of culture, buildings and monument protection, culture & media, as well as infrastructure & urban development. The aim is to archive these memorabilia for the planned exhibition “Refuge Berlin. Expellees in the Divided City” (spring 2027) and to preserve the eyewitness accounts for future generations. Submissions can be made continuously via an online form or by email.

Participants must belong to the post-war period and be willing to provide personal documents or objects. Selection is based on historical relevance and authenticity criteria, with particular focus on the completeness of the narratives and the originality of the memorabilia. There are no application deadlines to observe, as the collection campaign is conducted continuously. Interested private individuals benefit from the professional archiving of their contributions and help to make previously overlooked perspectives visible in Berlin’s culture of remembrance. This endeavor promotes an inclusive approach to the past and enables a sustainable processing of the history of flight and expulsion in the urban space.