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Graphik: facts and fiction

House of Immigration Society

Migration has history

Migration has always existed. It has been shaping our society for centuries and affects all people, regardless of their biography. However, the realization that migration is the normal case is not yet firmly anchored in society. The stories of migrants, their descendants, Black people and people of color are too often ignored.

With the "Haus der Einwanderungsgesellschaft" (House of Immigration Society), a place is being created in Cologne where permanent and temporary exhibitions will show how migration has inscribed itself in German history and shaped our social coexistence. In addition, as a cultural and educational center, the house offers space for exchange and a change of perspective on issues such as identity, coexistence and participation.

The Commitment to the Migration Society: Every Story Counts!

"When we started collecting testimonies on the immigration of Turkish migrant workers in a garage in Essen in 1990, we had no idea that a migration museum would emerge from the society in Germany."

(Ahmet Sezer, founding member and board member of DOMiD)

Behind the project with the working title "House of Immigration Society" is the Documentation Center and Museum on Migration in Germany - in short: DOMiD. The non-profit association based in Cologne was founded by migrants in 1990.

Since then, DOMiD has been one of the pioneers of the museumization of migration and the communication of migration history. The non-profit association stands for a multi-perspective view of history and is committed to an inclusive culture of remembrance.

DOMiD is home to Germany's largest collection of objects and testimonies about the diverse history of migration in Germany. The ongoing collection grew out of civil society. It currently comprises more than 150,000 social, cultural and everyday historical testimonies.

DOMiD’s goal since its foundation was to build a museum where migration is conveyed as a normal case. This plan is now about to come to life. In 2019 the federal government and the state of NRW included funds for the "House of Immigration Society" in their budgets. Commissioning is expected to begin in 2029.

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    "Neue Wege – Haus der Einwanderungsgesellschaft"

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