Germany has welcomed thousands of refugees to its cities through an open-door immigration policy since 2015. There, the focus has been on how refugees can integrate into German life and culture. In 2017, Douglas Paulson and I went to Cologne as part of an artist residency with CAT Cologne to interview refugees and people who work with them. We asked what Germans can learn from refugees, and how Germans, themselves, could integrate into a changing Germany.
We talked to people in temporary refugee housing, at social events for refugees, on the street, and in ice cream parlors. Over and over again, we heard from refugees that they felt isolated and missed the active social life of their homes. And over and over again, we heard from Germans that they were curious about refugees, but scared to talk to them for fear of offending. In response, we designed a friendly handbook for Germans called “How To Start a Conversation With a Refugee,” which draws from all the conversations we had with Cologne’s generous residents. The book offers tips on talking to strangers, thoughts from refugees on sticky etiquette questions, and advice from refugees to Germans on how we can all adapt to the city’s new situation.
You can download the English, German, or Arabic version here.
This project has been generously sponsored by CAT Cologne.