is just beginning to emerge in many other places…

It took just eight weeks to transform 367 colourful containers into two residential buildings – changing the neighbourhood around them. Unlike normal buildings, they were not initially intended to be permanent. The container village was a temporary site in the Berlin-wide network of accommodation for refugees. Extended several times, its actually remained in service beyond the original plans and ultimately lasted for eleven years. The plans at the time to build a school gymnasium will be put into practice in the coming years. And yet the question still arises: what will remain of the container village?

“I have an appeal to everyone who lives in an area where new accommodation is currently under construction: reach out to the people. The most important thing is to talk properly with each other. If you do that, you will have wonderful memories later on.“ (Peter Hermanns, Internationaler Bund, Accommodation Director, 2014-2021)

„Here is where I first felt like a human being in Germany.“ (Belaid, resident)

„Places like the shared accommodation on Alfred-Randt-Straße may look like a building from the outside. But there is real life going on inside. Sometimes it’s full of pain and then brimming with hope!“ (Ladin, volunteer)

„Fear is the first response I get everywhere. If they build a refugee centre somewhere, the residents will initially be up in arms. Always. They don’t even know what’s coming. But if you seek contact with the home, as we volunteers do in the social café and in the clothes shop, then you get to know the people and everything is different. It was enjoyable for us and then enjoyable for them. Then everything was fine.“ (Gerd, volunteer, clothes shop and social café, since 2015)

Conflict and healing

For many of the refugees, the residential containers offered protection and safety for the first time after traumatic experiences of flight and war had brought them here. They found peace and the necessary foundation to build a new life step by step. But this also involved giving up their previous lives and leaving their families and friends behind, without any certainty of how things would work out in their new place. Would they be allowed to stay? Would they arrive in the new society not only in a physical sense, but also socially and emotionally? Nonetheless, the perception of refugees as mere victims is clearly inadequate. It is too rarely recognised how much courage and inner resilience this situation demands of the individual.

The neighbourhood experienced disruption in their daily routines. The effects of previously unfamiliar, distant wars and multicultural realities arrived on the doorstep. Defensiveness was a natural response initially, one that occurs at all locations where refugee accommodation is planned. However, Allende has shown that a neighbourhood does not simply have to open the door to right-wing and far-right forces, but can develop its own voice. Neighbourhoods are neither homogeneous groups nor static states. They are inherently diverse and continuously changing. Organising local actors creates a network of resources that often exceeds the scope of its original purpose. Whether these networks can be sustained over a long period of time depends very much on the personal situations of individuals – but also on the framework conditions that politics and administration create for them to thrive.

The years 2014 and 2015 were both a marathon and a sprint for the various administrative bodies at state and borough level. It was necessary to create a massive increase in accommodation capacities within a very short period. The reestablishment of the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) in 2016 improved the ability to take action. Ten years later, the next stage of development is imminent: the LAF becomes the LUF – Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten und Unterbringung (State Office for Refugee Affairs and Accommodation) – and in doing so advances the „Overall Urban Management of Accommodation for Homeless People“ (GStU). Every resident of Berlin should receive assistance in housing emergencies according to uniform quality standards and the burden should be eased on the responsible administration. These objectives can benefit from the LAF’s collective expertise. Nevertheless, the sustainable and resilient planning of state accommodation remains a matter of negotiation between economic and political interests.

Alone and together

The overall situation of more and more people seeking protection, overburdened administrations and media visibility prompted countless people to get involved on the ground. Volunteers from the neighbourhood and beyond made the situation their personal concern and found the most diverse areas in which to become involved. From the clothes shop to German lessons, from making coffee to accompanying people to the authorities – every assistance, every donation and every smile helped the people in the container village. The neighbourhood as a whole also gained in visibility and vitality thanks to the commitment of these individuals and groups. Projects aimed at both the new and the long-established population were implemented as collaborative ventures between the neighbourhood and institutions. These unifying activities have yielded particularly valuable experiences of community and self-efficacy. Many of the committed people from back then are still actively involved in shaping the community in the Allende neighbourhood today, e.g. at the Allende neighbourhood round table or in the KIEZKLUB support association in Allende I. They came voluntarily – and remain irreplaceable today. 

Before and after

Berlin’s first container village existed at a politically charged time – from Angela Merkel’s „We can do it“ to Friedrich Merz’s „Problem in the cityscape“ ten years later. For the local people, it was, first and foremost, a very personal experience of loss, new beginnings, of being overwhelmed and of encounters. This exhibition has provided some insight into selected excerpts of processes and changes that have taken place and will take place in many other places. The story is not over. It will continuously repeat itself, with all of us as protagonists.

In 2017, volunteers planted „Berlinde“, a young lime tree, in the entrance area of the accommodation centre. It has grown to almost two metres in size over the years. Before the containers and the entire site disappeared, Berlinde was dug up by volunteers in a spontaneous rescue operation and replanted directly opposite the Würfel children’s and youth leisure centre. It will remain permanently on site as a witness to the history of Berlin’s first container village – and will continue to grow.

Food’s ready!

When we talk about migration in general or flight in particular, it seems completely natural to use numbers. It’s like a reflex. Almost every report usually begins with not just one, but a series of figures. Contrary to automatism, this exhibition has deliberately refrained from describing people in terms of statistics. Have you noticed? And it ends with the question: what can we do to become more familiar with the unknown people at the table – through the recipes on the top of the plate or the numbers on the bottom of the plate?

Numbers have power – and manipulate reality. In a confusing or emotional debate, figures usually seem like ‘solid facts’ that can be used to counter subjective opinions. But there are no ‘neutral figures’. Instead they describe a snippet of reality that is much larger and more complex. The ‘bare figures’ are often irrelevant to understanding interrelationships. Numbers only fulfil a purpose if counting is used as a basis for processing, so for the provision of accommodation, daycare, school places, etc., or for scientific studies. In the formation of public opinion, on the other hand, they are neither a working tool nor an aid to understanding, but rather serve as an instrument for eliciting a response. They draw attention to partial aspects without making this recognisable. They dramatise processes that would appear normal when viewed in a different light. Ultimately, they suggest an absoluteness that does not exist. We believe we need the ‘how many’ to define what or who we are talking about. But it is precisely this mechanism of ‘talking about it’ that makes ‘talking to each other’ more difficult. Numbers and statistics turn flight and migration into lifeless, countable things and prevent us from seeing what they actually are: individual decisions and the fates of people.

Ghalieh mahi /قلیهماهی

Ghalieh mahi is originally a spicy fish stew from Iran. This version consists of fried potatoes, fish and fresh beans and pays homage to the traditional dish.

• International migrants: an estimated 304 million people worldwide live outside their home country (source: United Nations, as of 2024)
  • 1990: (estimated 154 million) = 2.9% of the world’s population
  • 2024: slight increase to 3.7% of the world’s population

Braised cabbage (Тушеної капусти)

Do not chop the cabbage too coarsely. Add a sautéed mixture: melted or sautéed onions and steamed carrots. Tomato paste is not added here. Also add ground pepper, a bay leaf and dill. Place everything in a pan and simmer over a low heat until ready. Add a little citric acid if necessary. The cabbage is particularly good if you have ribs that have been seared on both sides first.

• Forcibly displaced persons: 117.3millionpeople worldwide are on the run, equivalent to 1 in 70 people.(Source: UN Refugee Agency, mid-2025)
  • 50.9 million asylum seekers, refugees and other persons in need of protection live outside their home country. This means that one in six international migrants is a refugee – the highest proportion since records began in 1950.
  • 66.4 million are internally displaced persons within their home country. Approx. 41% of the 117.3 million, or just under 49 million, are children below the age of 18.

Bring your own treats

Meetings and events organised by committed volunteers are not just about sharing ideas and joint activities. Time and again, participants also bring small treats such as cakes, pancakes, domino tarts or biscuits. These sweet contributions create a pleasant atmosphere, encourage togetherness and beautifully demonstrate the appreciation and sense of community within volunteering.

• Despite all the changes in absolute figures, two trends remain almost constant: 
  66% of all refugees live in the immediate neighbouring countries. 
  71%of all refugees are taken in by low- and middle-income countries. (Source: UN Refugee Agency, mid-2025). 
  A look at the main host countries also reveals the biggest trouble spots that are causing people to flee.
  Host country/total refugees/largest country of origin
  • Colombia (2.8 million) > Venezuela
  • Germany (2.7 million) > Ukraine
  • Turkey (2.7 million) > Syria
  • Iran (2.5 million) > Afghanistan
  • Uganda (1.9 million) > South Sudan
  • Pakistan (1.5 million) > Afghanistan
  • Chad (1.4 million) > Sudan

• In 2024, there were almost 6.5 million people living in Germany who have immigrated since 2015 (source: Federal Statistical Office, 2026). 
  • 4.2 million immigrated between 2015 and 2021, mainly from Syria (716,000), Romania (300,000) and Poland (230,000).
  • 2.2 million people immigrated between 2022 and 2024, primarily from Ukraine (843,000), Syria (124,000) and Turkey (112,000).

Malfouf / ملفوف

Prepare the cabbage and divide into medium-sized leaves. Wash and drain the rice well, then mix the rice with the minced meat and add the spices, salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon, half the butter and half the olive oil. Fill the cabbage leaves with the mixture. Cut the tomato into slices and place on the bottom of the pot, then arrange all the cabbage rolls tightly in the pot and place sliced vegetables between the cabbage rolls. Mix 100 g tomato purée, salt and the remaining butter and olive oil with a little water and pour over the dish. Place the pan on a high heat until everything starts to boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Foreign population totalling 14 million in 2024 according to residence status:

Source: Central register of foreigners (AZR)

• EU freedom of movement or otherwise exempt > 46.4%
• Education or employment > 6.3%
• Humanitarian reasons > 21.1%
• Family reasons > 8.8%
• Other > 1.1%
• Application submitted > 9.7%
• Without a residence permit > 6.3%

Georgian cuisine / ქართული სამზარეულო

Georgian cuisine is known for its many traditional dishes, including khachapuri, mzvadi and chinkali. Khachapuri is a freshly baked bread filled with melted cheese and is often served warm. Mzwadi consists of pieces of meat that are placed on skewers and grilled over an open fire. Chinkali are large dumplings with a savoury meat and broth filling, which are first sucked out and then eaten. These dishes are among Georgia’s best-known specialities.

• Asylum seekers
  • Arrival – Statement confirming a request for asylum – Registration
    Document: Proof of arrival
    Accommodation: Arrival centre, anchor centre, initial reception facility
  • Distribution among the federal states
    The EASY computer program uses the ‘Königstein Key’, among other things, to determine the responsible federal state.
    
• Asylum applicants
  • Personal application for asylum at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)
    Document: Residence permit
    Accommodation: Shared accommodation
  • Determination of the responsible EU Member State (Dublin procedure)
    → Possible transfer to another EU country
  • Personal interview at the BAMF and decision
    Based on individual fates
    • Negative – obligation to leave the country, possibly deportation. A temporary suspension of deportation is a tolerated stay. / Option to take legal action
    • Positive – residence permit in one of four forms of protection: Refugee protection, entitlement to asylum, subsidiary protection, national ban on deportation

Ukrainian borscht / Український борщ

To make borscht, boil 500 g of pork on the bone in about 2-2.5 litres of salted water for 40-60 minutes, then remove the meat from the bone and cut into pieces. Fry the onions, carrots and grated beetroot in a little oil, add the tomato purée and fry briefly. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the stock and cook for about 10 minutes, then add the sautéed vegetables and beans and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes. Finally, stir in the garlic, parsley and dill and season to taste with salt, black pepper and a little vinegar. Return the meat to the soup and serve hot.

• 36,954 people received accommodation from the Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs in March 2026(source: LAF Berlin). 
  • These are people who have requested asylum (= asylum seekers), who have applied for asylum (= asylum applicants), who have been granted a residence permit but cannot find accommodation, and refugees from Ukraine who have not applied for asylum but are entitled to accommodation.
  • The State of Berlin receives and cares for 5% of the asylum seekers registered nationwide. The quota is based on the ‘Königstein Key’ (composition: two thirds tax revenue and one third population of the federal states, recalculated annually) and is determined using the EASY computer program (initial distribution of asylum seekers).