The exhibition covers the period between the 1960s and early 1990s. The former witnessed the exponential increase in the number of Greeks living in West Germany and the growing involvement of Greeks in protests taking place in the Federal Republic of Germany. Around 1990, Greek migrant activism became more diverse in terms of approaches to gender and sexuality: A few Greeks began to engage in protest cultures challenging dominant sexual and gender norms, such as lesbian Feminism.
The material that the exhibition contains highlights moments of mass mobilisation of Greeks in the Federal Republic of Germany from the 1960s, such as their participation in Easter Marches for peace, the struggle of some of them against the dictatorial regime ruling Greece in 1967-1974, the creation and collective action of OEK [the Federation of Greek Communities in Germany], the participation of Greek migrants in factory strikes and the LGBTQI movements. The exhibition sheds light onto the demands of Greek protestors and their activity in collaboration with other migrants and refugees and non-foreign-born Germans. It illuminates examples of such collaboration that was mutually beneficial and help deepen democracy in West Germany and Greece.
The exhibition is organised by Nikolaos Papadogiannis, Research Fellow in Contemporary European History at the University of St Andrews, and OEK. It is part of the AHRC-funded project on Transnational AIDS Activism, which Nikolaos Papadogiannis is leading.