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Documentation Centre · Labour Migration · Remembrance Project
From 23 to 25 October 2026, “Jenseits von temporär” at Oranienplatz highlighted the history of labour migration as an integral part of Berlin’s urban history. A temporary pavilion hosted an open-air exhibition featuring historical photographs and personal memories of guest workers, contract workers and their families. Panel discussions, oral history video interviews, a literary reading and film screenings offered perspectives on work, everyday life, belonging and self-determination.
A project by RIIK Berlin e.V., funded by the Berlin Senate Commissioner for Participation, Integration and Migration and the Senate Department for Labour, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination.
Pavilion at Oranienplatz
A temporary pavilion at Oranienplatz for three days. Stories that leave a mark.
Temporary?
The exhibition Beyond Temporary presented Berlin from the perspective of the people who have shaped and continue to shape this city through migration.
The 65th Anniversary of Labor Migration to Berlin
Marking the 65th anniversary of labor migration to Berlin, we turn our attention to the stories of “guest workers,” contract workers, and their families. We explore themes of work and daily life, belonging, self-determination, and the traces that remain visible in Berlin to this day.
Filmvorführungen
Liebe, D-Mark und Tod — Cem Kaya
A documentary film about the musical culture of immigrants from Turkey in Germany, bringing themes of migration, solidarity, and cultural memory to life. Winner of the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2022 Berlinale and the 2024 Grimme Award.
Stinkfrucht (Taste of Home) — Âni Võ
Through the encounter between two girls, this short film sheds light on the hidden realities of Vietnamese migrants in Germany, addressing issues such as human trafficking, exploitation, and solidarity. It won the award for Best International Short Narrative Film at the 2022 Santa Fe International Film Festival and the Trống Đồng Award for Best Short Film at the 2022 Viet Film Fest.
Panel discussions in the pavilion
How does the history of labor migration become part of a city’s collective memory?
On anchoring migrant history within Berlin’s public memory.
What we bring with us, what we pass on
On family histories, belonging, and political participation.
Helping shape Berlin, writing history
On civic engagement, solidarity, and social change.
More than just counseling: Spaces for encounter and solidarity the example of Türk Danış
On counseling as a space for exchange and mutual support.
Two generations, one history?
On the commonalities and differences between generations in the experience of migration..
Labor migration
“Beyond the Temporary” makes the history of labor migration and its lasting contribution to Berlin’s urban society visible.
Oral-History-Interviews
Our oral history interviews give voice to personal experiences of labor migration in Berlin. As a form of preparatory documentation, they capture memories of arrival, daily work life, and a sense of belonging, helping to preserve them for future generations.
Funded by
