How migrants in the GDR made their own history.

For many migrants, their stay in the GDR ended involuntarily and earlier than expected.

Intimate relationships were seen as undesirable for migrants in the GDR, but they did exist. Marriage was more or less impossible, while women who became pregnant were returned to their home country.

The migrants’ free time was regimented by the GDR too. Rather than being able to participate freely in society as promised, they often experienced racism.

Foreign students, political émigrés, and members of communist fraternal parties enjoyed certain privileges in the GDR.

The GDR was a popular destination for many people from poor countries. But how did they get there?

Most migrants arrived in the GDR as workers hoping to gain skills and qualifications.