Reshaping the culture of remembrance together

When Armando Rodrigues de Sá arrived at Cologne Deutz railway station on 10 September 1964, he was celebrated as the millionth ‘guest worker’ in Germany. The scene was staged for maximum media impact: flowers, cameras – and a Zündapp moped as a welcome gift. Today, the moped is on display at the Haus der Geschichte Museum in Bonn, where it is admired by visitors. But the man behind the story remains unknown.

‘Hardly anyone remembers Rodrigues de Sá and his fate today,’ says Prof. Dr Kevin Drews, professor of literature at Leuphana. "The locksmith returned to Portugal and later became seriously ill – without knowing that he was entitled to medical care in Germany. ‘

’A central component of German remembrance culture is the memory of the Nazi era,‘ explains Prof. Dr. Monika Schoop. The professor of musicology continues: ’From the perspective of post-migration society, topics such as colonialism, racism, right-wing violence and migration are added."

Such a broadening of perspective is important because it reveals continuities of exclusion, marginalisation and violence. However, it also leads to tensions. ‘The question arises as to whether new focal points divert attention from other historical events; after all, resources for remembrance work are limited,’ says Monika Schoop.

The 15-month research project will compile the current state of research, identify overlaps and seek dialogue with the urban community. ‘We want to work together to find out how the diversity of our society can be reflected in remembrance. Openness and processuality are an important part of our research,’ says research assistant Lea Otremba.

Students will be involved in the project through teaching research seminars. Plans include the joint development of a literary magazine and an exhibition documenting musical and educational practices of remembrance in post-migration society. According to Prof. Dr. Ellen Kollender, Professor of Inclusion and Diversity: ‘Schools are a central arena for transnational remembrance. The pluralistic composition of school classes with different family connections to the history of National Socialism and colonialism raises the question of how schools can take these different connections into account when shaping inclusive and democratic school cultures.’

The continuities of these historical events, which have manifested themselves in the right-wing terrorist murders of recent decades, such as in Hanau and by the so-called NSU, are often only dealt with marginally in the classroom, according to Ellen Kollender. This contributes to the suppression of certain events and experiences in the cultural discourse of memory in schools and society.

In pop culture, however, these memories find a place: hip-hop artist Eko Fresh, for example, rapped about the NSU attack on Keupstraße in Cologne. But these voices often have only limited reach, explains Monika Schoop – they remain underrepresented in public discourse.

Similar to music, literature also plays an important role in the culture of remembrance: ‘Memory thrives on storytelling. Post-migrant literature is now also present in the major publishing houses,’ says Kevin Drews. ‘Many works deal with the experiences of the parent generation. This gives rise to new perspectives on the history of the Federal Republic. For example, they tell of the degrading health checks on arrival at the train stations or the temporary accommodation in barracks where the parents initially had to live, but also of the hazardous working conditions on construction sites and in factories.’

But memories do not have to be exclusively associated with pain, according to the researchers. Positive experiences of living together and visions of a diverse and inclusive society are also part of cultures of remembrance. Music, literature and schools are central arenas in which diverse perspectives and new approaches to shaping cultures of remembrance in a critical way can be tested. Lea Otremba emphasises: ‘This offers the opportunity to democratically open up the cultural canon of remembrance in favour of a pluralisation of remembrance culture.’

The research project ‘Futures of Remembrance in Post-Migration Society’ at Leuphana University Lüneburg is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) with 122,000 euros.

As part of the project's kick-off event, a public polylogue, experts from academia, civil society and urban society will discuss conflicts, continuities and new perspectives for a sustainable culture of remembrance.

Participants include Cristina Antonelli-Ngameni (AG Migrant:innen Niedersachsen), Rolf Behncke (Geschichtswerkstatt Lüneburg), Dr Steffi Hobuß (Leuphana), Dr Thomas Köhn (Leuphana) and Nuria Miralles-Andress (Initiative für Vielfalt und Teilhabe).

The event will take place on 12 November 2025 at 7 p.m. at mosaique (Katzenstraße 1, Lüneburg). Admission is free, but registration is requested: https://eveeno.com/222866851