Exile Turkey 1933–1945 at the Documentation Center for National Socialism Freiburg
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Exile Turkey, 1933–1945: An opening about flight, science, and new beginnings
The opening at the Documentation Center for National Socialism focuses on a little-known history of exile: expelled, persecuted as Jewish, and politically critical scholars from Germany found refuge in Turkey between 1933 and 1945. The focus is particularly on biographies connected to the University of Freiburg.
Biographies against forgetting
The exhibition combines historical research with biographical examination of works. It makes visible how political persecution destroyed academic careers, while simultaneously creating new places for scientific work and cultural exchange. Turkey became an important refuge for more than 200 Jewish and regime-critical scholars and their families.
Historical context and cultural education
The exhibition emerged from an award-winning teaching and research project by Ercüment Çelik and sociology students at the University of Freiburg. As a historical-biographical learning project, it connects scientific research, political education, and a lively engagement with anti-Semitism, expulsion, and exile. The exhibition curation focuses on individual experiences and on the history of knowledge between Germany and Turkey.
An artistic experience of silent attention
Instead of a spectacular staging, visitors can expect a concentrated exhibition atmosphere. Documents, biographies, and historical contexts open up an aesthetic experience of remembrance: names, places, and life decisions emerge from the shadows of history. The examination of works here focuses on historical testimonies and their impact in space.
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Conclusion
The opening provides a poignant access to the themes of expulsion, flight, exile, and scientific new beginnings. The artistic experience combines historical accuracy with cultural education and personal memory. The event is already sold out; the exhibition itself also provides an opportunity to further explore the history of Turkish exile and its significance for the present.
