Escape and Migration in the 19th Century via the Ruhleben Emigrant Station
20.5.2022 – 30.4.2023
Zeughaus
Between 1891 and 1914, more than a million mostly Jewish migrants from Eastern Europe had to pass through the emigrant train station between Berlin and Spandau. Before they were allowed to emigrate via the North Sea ports to the USA and other countries, their papers, finances and state of health were checked here.
The barracks on the station grounds became a symbol of the way migrants were treated, as well as the fear of disease and the influx of strangers. When the exhibition about the emigration control station was planned, points of reference to today’s migration were already obvious. But the dynamics with which both the measures against contagious diseases and the orderly distribution of refugee flows in 19th-century Berlin gained topicality could not have been foreseen.
The exhibition explores questions that are just as pressing today as they were over a hundred years ago. For this reason, after the presentation of the history(s) of the Ruhleben emigrant station, there is an opportunity to share your own thoughts and wishes about current events.
You are also cordially invited to the many accompanying events, such as curatorial tours, workshops and discussion formats. You will receive information about these events via our newsletter, which you can subscribe to on our website.
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