German On-Campus Day at the University of Reading
On 12th December, students studying GCSE German had the opportunity to go to Reading University for a 'German on-campus day' to discuss migration and identity in Germany.
We started the day by discussing how we would define identity and what many people may feel when they have mixed ethnic backgrounds. We then learnt about the ‘Wirtschaftswunder’, also known as the economic miracle, where, shortly after the Second World War, Germany invited many people from Turkey to join their workforce to help revive their economy. These Turkish workers were known as ‘Gastarbeiter’ (guest workers). We watched a film, Almanya (2011) which followed the life story of a ‘Gastarbeiter’. The film illustrated his struggles to get used to German customs and how his successive generations tried to find their individual identities.