By Maiyia Vang
Berlin, Germany, May 27-29, 2024
Scholars from the U.S., Germany, and the United Kingdom convened in Berlin for “Cultures in Motion: Migration, Exile, and Refuge,” a 2024 keynote event for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for German & European Studies. Professor Sonja Klocke arranged the workshop with her colleague Professor Ela Gezen (University of Massachusetts-Amherst) in conjunction with the Stiftung Berliner Mauer and Dr. Gülsah Stapel, a historian at the SBM (a German foundation). This conference was generously funded by the Sol Z. and Gisela Imm Bloomenkranz Fund in CGES at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.* The primary purpose of the workshop was the dynamic intersections of migration and culture.
The first two days of the workshop took place at the Bernauer Straße location, where scholars discussed topics relating to the theme, including the three major organizers above, as well as:
- Natalie Bayer (Museum Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg)
- Claudia Breger (Columbia University)
- Jon Cho-Polizzi (University of Michigan)
- Nalan Erbil – Erkan (UW-Madison)
- Zach Fitzpatrick (UW–Madison)
- Randall Halle (Pittsburgh University)
- Maria Roca Lizarazu (Cambridge University)
- Leonie Schulte (UW – Madison)
Their presentation addressed themes such as:
- Literary Interpretation: Breger and Nalan Erbil–Erkan on Turkish-German literature; Gezen on Galal Alahmadi’s poetry; Klocke on Ronya Othmann’s The Summers and the Yazidi in Germany; Roca Lizarazu on Olivia Wenzel’s 1000 Serpentinen Angst.
- Transnational Literature and Translation: Jon Cho-Polizzi.
- Queer BIPC Narrative: Fitzpatrick focused on queer stories in German-Korean series.
- Colonialism and History: Stapel and Halle offered historical perspectives on colonialism, notably Eurafrica.
- Migration and Anthropology: Schulte provided an anthropological lens on migration dynamics.
On the evening of May 28, Deniz Utlu held a public reading of his work VATERS MEER [Father’s Sea], attended by over 50 individuals from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. Utlu is a writer, the founder of the culture and society magazine freitext, and studied economics in Berlin and Paris. The event concluded with lively discussions, additional readings, and an engaging Q&A session.
On May 29, the scholars moved their proceedings to the “Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde” to discuss the possibilities for renewing and reviving the exhibition on this location and its significance for welcoming new refugees in Berlin. Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde served primarily refugees from East Germany from the 1950s. Currently, it hosts refugees from around the world, including recent arrivals from Ukraine. Overall, the workshop provided an insightful exploration of the multifaceted nature of migration, exile, and refuge through academic presentations, discussions, and public reading. It ignited crucial conversations on how history and culture shape the ongoing global refugee crisis.