Danube Swabians. Departures and encounters

Danube Swabians are the descendants of Germans who, from the late 17th century on, settled in what was then . After the end of Ottoman rule, the Habsburgs and private landlords settled German peasants and artisans in the region. Most emigrants came to Hungary via ships that sailed the .

"How happy is the German man, who can speak with Hungarians in their own tongue." This observation from a German textbook from the year 1805 surely expressed exactly what the German immigrants themselves felt. Indeed, despite all the linguistic barriers, Germans, Hungarians, Romanians, Serbians, Croatians, and others succeeded in living peacefully alongside each other. It was only in the late 19th century that emerging nationalism brought about discord. 

The exhibition "Danube Swabians. Departures and encounters" offers a journey of discovery into the settlement areas of the Danube Swabians in Southeastern Europe. 13 exhibition spaces across an area of 950 square meters show the eventful life of the Danube Swabians from the 17th century up to the present. Original exhibits, historical documents and several hundred photographs document the culture and everyday life of the Germans in these multiethnic settlement areas. They tell of the life in the villages and cities, of agricultural and industrial labor, of housing and clothing, the education system and religion. In all these areas the cultural diversity of Southeast Europe is reflected.

In the 20th century, excessive nationalism drove a wedge between neighbours who had, until then, lived together peacefully for centuries. After World War One the national affiliation of many Danube Swabians changed due to the emergence of new states. National Socialism and the Second World War started by Germany also had an impact on the Germans in Southeast Europe. At the end of the war many Danube Swabians were forced to flee or suffered internment, deportation and forced displacement. Survivors had to rebuild their lives in Germany and other Western countries. Those who stayed behind adapted to life under the communist dictatorships. The exhibition ends with a section that looks at the descendants of the Danube Swabians, who today live all over the world and approach their family history in different ways.
In addition, visitors can borrow a media guide to the exhibition. This features short videos in which Danube Swabians from different times and countries talk about their experiences and hopes for the future. Interviews, animations, photographs and other historical documents also provide in-depth information on individual exhibits.