© Alina Simmelbauer
People had and have to leave their homes for a variety of reasons: climate change, economic or political instability, persecution or war. The project has focused on stories of escape told by people who have become victims of National Socialist injustice. In this context, it extended the time frame beyond the wartime years: Racist and political discrimination and persecution forced people to flee since the seizure of power – and for many of them, their journey did not end in 1945. However, who are these refugees, what paths did they follow, and how did they deal with their experiences?
A voice, a destiny - giving a story to the refugees
With approximately 60 million refugees and displaced persons, it is surprising that only a few fates are part of the broader collective consciousness. The goal of the project was to correct this image and to reflect the diverse horizons of experience of people of different ages, genders, religions and ethnic groups by using exemplary stories of escape. Thus, the attention went to the consequences of flight, possible traumas, conscious and unconscious strategies of overcoming, but also to the very pragmatic challenges of 'arriving' into a new life – points that historically transcend the depicted historical period and reach into the present.
The map: Remapping Refugee Stories
“Remapping Refugee Stories” tells the stories of 26 people who survived the Holocaust by fleeing. Some escaped Nazi persecution via established escape routes, while others saved their lives through unconventional means, often thanks to luck and chance. Each story is available in the languages of the countries that played a role along the respective escape route, a total of 17 languages. The website’s navigation is designed to be bilingual (German/English). The interactive world map visualizes the individual escape routes and stages of life. It is supplemented by multimedia and educational resources that provide in-depth insights into the topics of Nazi injustice, flight, and exile.
The project is led by Prof. Dr. Paula Wojcik from the University of Vienna and is carried out in partnership with Prof. Dr. Werner Nell and Dr. Ruth Eitan as well as an international team of historians, sociologists, psychologists and educators.
Cooperation partners: Deutsches Historisches Institut Washington, D. C.
Funding country: Austria
Duration: 01.12.2022 until 31.12.2024
refugee-stories.org