Course info

The course “Berlin as refugee city” explores the recent history of (forced) migration to the city of Berlin from an anthropological perspective. How and where are refugees visible in urban spaces of Berlin? What are the challenges they are confronted with and what are their practices of space-making and maneuvering the city? The temporal focus of this course is set on the so-called ‘European refugee crisis’ in 2015 and its aftermath, yet we also discuss Germany’s migration regime from a historical perspective. In doing so, the seminar invites critical engagement with classifications and terminology (“refugee”, “crisis”, etc.) and a multidimensional exploration of Berlin as space of refuge, settlement and activism. Besides reading and discussing a variety of critical sources, such as field reports, academic articles and media coverage, this course offers an exploration of mapping methodologies, and participation in excursions to different locations in Berlin that have played a role in the ‘refugee crisis’ and its aftermath.  Furthermore, there is a reflective dimension to this course that strongly motivates us: students are encouraged to engage with their own and their families’ immersion in migration, are asked to reflect in which ways they experience Berlin as a ‘refugee city’, and what it meant for them to arrive and settle in Berlin.