Stories of Greeks in Berlin,Germany

 Dedicated to my family

My stranger bird and complaining, my stranger and complaining,

The foreign land rejoices you and I've got your sorrow, my stranger and I've got your sorrow.

What shall I send you, my stranger, in this foreign land where you are, my stranger, in this foreign land where you are? I send you an apple, it rots, a quince grows, I send you a musk, it raisins in the street. I send you my tear in a wispy handkerchief, my tear is hot and burns the handkerchief...

(Traditional Epirus song of the foreigness- ksenitia)

Having grown up in a family, where the issue of immigration and foreignness (ksenitia) was "ringing" loudly in my ears, already from a young age, as my mother's family and herself were immigrants in Germany in the 1960's and 70's and having come to Berlin myself for 3 months for an internship, concepts such as immigration, freedom and a sense of belonging, I find more necessary than ever to explore and express them through this article.

Considering the various family histories, the past experiences of my relatives, but also my personal, recent experiences-influences in Berlin and the context of my practice, I wanted to contribute through my own search, by conducting a short research, i.e. by looking for and talking to young people from Greece who have migrated to Berlin. More specifically, by participating in the Humboldt University Berlin, in the Humboldt Internship Program (HIP), I had the opportunity to become a member and work on the research project entitled: URGENTLY WANTED: freedom of research and learning, which is a collaboration between Off University e.V. and the research project RePLITO (Beyond Social Cohesion: Global Repertoires of Living Together) at the Department of Gender and Media Studies for the South Asian Region (GAMS), Institute of Asian and African Studies, Humboldt University Berlin . The aim of the research project was to explore and "uncover" the essence of freedom for new arrivals in Berlin, regarding their experiences and expectations in terms of education, academic study and research. The centrepiece of the project was a research and artistic co-production process with facilitators of academics who have experienced flight or migration, in which the meaning of 'freedom' is examined. The results of this research learning were recorded in two artistic forms - as a video and as a radio play and in this way, many people (including myself) were given the opportunity to share their stories and experiences and to feel that their voices were heard. Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to talk to other members of the project, who helped me to learn more about the subject under study, while I was also given the chance to expand the main topic of the research project to a more specific category, that of Greek arrivals in Berlin, about their views and experiences in Berlin around three axes: education, migration and freedom, in the form of group discussions.

The aim is, through the group discussions around these themes, to give voice to the experiences, lessons learned and opinions of individuals around the aforementioned axes, but also to " raise " new questions, new concerns.

At this point I think it would be particularly useful and interesting to make a brief (historical) reference to the immigration of Greeks to West Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. The interest is particularly focused on this specific period, as it was the period where my family was placed in Germany in terms of immigration. Before analysing this period, however, it is equally important to make a brief reference to another type of migration of Greeks to Germany, that of political migrants in the GDR, although the number is smaller compared to labour migration, as will be analysed below, in West Germany. In 1949 and 1950, after the 'fall' of the communist resistance in the Greek civil war (1946-1949), there was a signifficant number of refugees (over 1,100 people), mainly young people and children of families of members of the left-wing Democratic Army, who formed the first group of political immigrants in the new state, accompanied by Greek caregivers. The immigrants in the GDR were housed in groups, in former castles and abandoned villas in areas such as East Berlin, Rostock , Dresden etc. The KKE (Communist Party of Greece) believed that due to the development of socialism in Greece, the period of residence of the young people in the GDR would end in 5-6 years. In the accommodation areas, the migrants received psychological and health support and education. Afterwards, they were integrated into the GDR's educational program, receiving the same education as local children, and had to internalize socialist values. In the decades after their arrival, the social position of Greek immigrants was modified and came into more conflict with the party and government leadership. Greek immigrants, in summary, were seen as exemplary and loyal freedom fighters under the protection of the GDR and their acceptance was aimed at promoting the anti-fascist ideal of the new democracy (Panoussi 2014).

Moving on to the later decades, and more specifically to those of the 60's and 70's, my relatives emigrated to Germany as "guest workers" (Gastarbeiter), following the German government's invitation for cheap and foreign labour. (Zelepos 2017). My grandfather started with his brother, and after a period of time, my grandmother followed him to Germany, specifically to Berlin, where my grandfather and other relatives were already located. She didn’t just follow him as a family companion, but also worked in the same capacity. They both worked as Gastarbeiter, and at a later time, the family settled in other cities. It is worth mentioning that the increase in female labour migration at that time changed the image of the Greek diaspora in Germany, as women were working and no longer migrated only as companion following the traditional family structures of the time, thus conquering an increasingly modern role, that of the independent, working wife/mother (Zelepos 2017). The number of Greek migrant workers who settled permanently or temporarily in West Germany from the early 1960s onwards probably increased to over half a million by 1976.  This immigration was the result of the signing of the Greek-German convention in March 1960 and was subsequently promoted by both countries. It was intended to address the shortage of workers in the rapidly growing domestic industry in West Germany and on the other hand, the Greek government, after the end of the Civil War and World War II, wished to use labour migration as a means of improving its economy, raising the standard of living of the Greek population and specialising the Greek workforce. The 1960 Recruitment Agreement was created as a set of rules to control and direct labour migration. It included detailed provisions on the placement and selection of suitable candidates, the issuance of work permits, payment of travel expenses, accommodation, medical care and equal employment rights for immigrants, for whom it provided for employment contracts of an initial duration of one year, which were customarily concluded before the relocation. The guest workers, mostly from rural areas, were not familiar with the work they would be doing in the host country, the working conditions, etc. However, they had very strong incentives during their arrival in Germany, such as the hope for better working conditions and better wages compared to Greece, while at the same time they would be able to support their families and other relatives financially, whether they were in the same country or in Greece. Their ultimate thought, in a way, was to return to Greece with financial security and stability (Zelepos 2017) .

Most of my family's references to their experiences in Germany clearly contained a sense of nostalgia. The nostalgia of their place of origin, of Greek culture, of their home. I remember my mother describing emotional moments when Greek songs of foreign lands were "played" on the radio, or even when I myself visited my relatives in the past and these songs were played, an emotional atmosphere automatically prevailed, taking them back to those difficult years. After all, music speaks to the soul of people...

The waves of Greek migrants, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s as "Gastarbeiters", were followed by new waves of migration, especially after the 2008 economic crisis in Greece and the rise of unemployment, which reached 27 percent by the end of 2013, as well as the loss of income to salary cuts and the high cost of living (Tseligka 2021,8). This new wave included a broader range of people, such as young people, professionals and scientists, who were looking for better study and/or work opportunities abroad. This type of new migration differed from the previous one, as the new immigrants came with different experiences, expectations and needs, thus bringing changes to the already existing Greek communities in Germany in terms of the identity of the individual. At the same time, it can be said that they are coming into a more flexible environment, since through digitalisation and globalisation the distance between the two countries is decreasing (Zelepos 2017). Personally, I think it would be interesting to further explore the context of these changes that are observed, both in relation to the motivations of the new immigrants and in relation to the Greek communities in Germany. The challenges faced by Greek immigrants in Germany, as well as how their experiences contribute to the formation and evolution of the contemporary Greek diaspora, are interesting areas of research for understanding the diaspora in a constantly changing environment where different generations coexist.  Even more interest is added to the above formulations if one considers that Berlin, being once divided by the Wall, is an example for the study of Greek migration, since labour migration took place during a divided Berlin, while young Greek immigrants arrived in a 'united' Germany, especially during a difficult period due to the economic crisis in 2008. The coexistence of these two groups creates an interesting social context (in Berlin today) where the differences in the experiences and expectations of the two generations create an interesting field of research.

As I belong to a younger generation of immigrants, even if for a short period of time, and having the aforementioned questions and thoughts in mind, I would like to refer to my personal experience in the context of a short research in the form of conversations I had with two young people from Greece, who live in Berlin, E.M. and K.M., focusing on immigration, the concept of freedom and education. These three themes are closely linked and through them their views and experiences emerged, offering an understanding of the meaning they attribute to seeking opportunities and experiences in a foreign country in today's world.  My role, was mainly facilitative, seeking a comfortable discussion without predetermined questions. Our conversations were recorded with their consent and were conducted via social media, where I posted an invitation to participate in a group discussion, to which they responded promptly. Some factors that led me to conduct the discussion and research with them were the fact that they are close in age to my own, which helps to understand shared experiences. Both are professionally active in Berlin, thus providing useful perspectives on the challenges young Greek immigrants face in the labour market. Moreover, one studied in Berlin, thus providing important insights into her education and integration into German society, while the other studied in Greece and provides insights into her experiences there, entering into a context of comparison between her experiences and those of the first one.

The three thematic sections (education, migration, freedom) emphasize important aspects of the lives of the two participants, who migrated from Greece to Germany and are trying to integrate and network professionally and socially in a new context.

In relation to the subject of education, although the experiences of the two women differ, the common thread is that they both faced certain difficulties, for example in relation to ethnicity and gender. K.M., has studied Political Science in Berlin and experiences education as a 'predetermined' structure, a strict but at the same time organised system.  During her studies, she reported working with a professor who was more strict with international students. When K.M. went to discuss her low grade, the teacher cited a weakness in her German, whereas K.M. herself had never had a problem with the language and somehow, a differentiation was presented against her in terms of her language ability, possibly suggesting a bias against foreign students, which upset her and had a particular impact on her later career as a student. E.M., who studied music education in Greece, wished to become a composer, but after attending a related course in a greek university, where a professor asked her and another student (they were the only women in the room) what they were doing there, implying that they had no place in the field of composition, she became frustrated and dropped the course. She mentioned, however, that during her studies in Greece, there were certain personalities who stood by her and gave her the "voice" she was missing.

It is thus apparent that, for both girls, the difficulties they encountered during their studies played an important role in their performance, their psychological state and their self-esteem, and came in particular from people who held 'mentor-mentee' positions.

Continuing with the theme of migration, through our discussions, issues touching on language and cultural difficulties emerged. K.M., referred to some discrimination she experienced in professional environments, highlighting an incident during her work at the Parliament in Berlin, where a member of parliament questioned her abilities because of her nationality and asked to speak to someone who spoke German. Furthermore, she spoke about the 'well-known' phrase 'the lazy Greeks', which has been circulating in the German media since the financial crisis, having created a stereotype of Greeks, causing a suspicion towards people of Greek origin, for example regarding their work efficiency. E.M. described experiences not found in Berlin, but in Dresden where she stayed for a short time, in the language communication part, as she needed an escort to go to various services because she did not speak German and this made her feel vulnerable and lose her composure, as she said. Furthermore, she continued, and on a day-to-day level, there were various language-related difficulties, such as understanding announcements on public transport, creating stress and pressure.

Thus, it can be seen that both girls, as immigrants in a foreign country, have experienced discrimination either in a more direct way, as in the case of K.M., or in a more indirect way, as in the case of E.M. , but realising in both cases the necessity of language proficiency for carrying out everyday activities etc.

In the last thematic section, that of freedom, a variety of interesting and important perspectives were expressed. E.M. referred to her need to identify small communities of people in which she can be heard. In Greece she felt that her voice was "intermittently heard" and her move to Berlin gave her the opportunity to create and join collectives that gave her space and a voice to be herself. She gave as an example of freedom, coexisting and participating in a drag show and thus it becomes more understandable for her that freedom is not only individual but also collective, since through the formation of groups, she finds fertile ground for her personality to "blossom". K.M. also believes that her freedom is directly linked to her ability to bring out her identity, which is no longer either purely Greek or purely German. She finds her freedom when she can coexist harmoniously with people who understand and accept her difference.  In her current job, although most of the people are German, she feels comfortable because they share the same framework of multiculturalism and diversity, while feeling safe.

For both of them, therefore, the issue of freedom refers more to their integration into communities where they can be heard and express their identities without restrictions, feeling respected and listened to.

At this point, I would like to thank the two girls for their help and contribution to this short and brief study. I feel particularly moved that they have shared their personal thoughts and experiences with me, offering very interesting and useful perspectives on the topics I am researching.

Despite the time difference between Greek immigrants of the 1960s-70s and those after 2008, the challenges of cultural, social and language integration still remains significant. Examining the experiences of young Greek immigrants in Berlin and how they are connected to freedom, education and professional integration in a foreign country, various challenges were revealed and it becomes clear that all of the above have an impact on their everyday life in various ways. However, it is important and interesting that both migrant women consider the existence of communities where they feel free and their identity is accepted, to be particularly important. In this way, we understand that for them, in addition to a secure economic and working environment, they generally seek a safe environment where their identity is accepted.  Thus, I hope that my contribution within my practice research project, and RePLITO, will make a significant contribution by highlighting the importance of equality, and the acceptance of diversity, emphasising the challenges that young migrants come into contact with, trying to gain a greater understanding of how individuals can co-exist with equality. Finally, through respect and understanding of different language and cultural differences at a collective level, it is possible to create, and why not "reconstruct" harmoniously, societies.

Finally, I would like to thank my supervisors, Dr. Julia Strutz, Prof. Dr. Nadja-Christina Schneider and Dr. Tuba Inal Cekic, for their help and support, not only in the context of the research project URGENTLY NEEDED: Freedom of research and learning, but also more generally throughout my stay in Berlin, as through the various discussions we had and the general guidance I received, I felt that I came into contact with a ¨new¨ world of academic (and not only) exploration and learning, around many thematic discussions.