Children in Exile

This documentary exhibition focuses on the experience of children in exile. The historical section showcases photographs, letters, and manuscripts from the Akademie Archive, in particular from the papers of German writers and artists who went into exile with their children between 1933 and 1945. As yet, little consideration has been given to the perspectives of the children fleeing with their parents – the daughters and sons of Walter Benjamin, Bertolt Brecht, Paul Dessau, George Grosz, Wieland Herzfelde, Alfred Kerr, Anna Seghers, Friedrich Wolf and Arnold Zweig.

The current section presents KUNSTWELTEN projects on exile by artists and children. The encounters with the artists’ personal papers and documents in the archives have produced films, models, texts, photos, sketches, pieces of music, and plays which all show migration today both as a challenge and enrichment. For the exhibition opening, Berlin pupils together with Akademie members and fellows are presenting the results of their research and workshops. With the kind support of the Helga and Edzard Reuter Foundation, Ministerium für Bildung, Jugend und Sport des Landes Brandenburg (MBJS); Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Brandenburg.