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Germans in Britain at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh

We are delighted to be partnering with the National Records of Scotland to bring Germans in Britain to Scotland for the first time.

6 July – 7 August 2015⎪10am–4.30pm Monday – Friday
National Records of Scotland, General Register House, Edinburgh⎪Free admission

Germans have had an immense impact on British life over the centuries. This exhibition looks at how German connections have shaped everything from sport, business, the monarchy, science, music and the creative arts.

The exhibition in Edinburgh is complemented by specially selected original documents from the huge holdings of the National Records of Scotland, telling stories of German doctors, musicians, clockmakers, sailors and others who have lived and worked in Scotland since 1600. Among the fascinating documents featured is a register recording the baptism in 1598 of the son of the German doctor who attended Anne of Denmark, James VI’s queen.

Find out more

Visit the National Records of Scotland website for further details.

Visit our exhibitions page to view the exhibition film and brochure.

Visit The National’s website to read their write-up of the exhibition.

Comments

I welcome this exhibition that celebrates the amazing historic links between Germany and Britain, and highlights the contribution that people who have lived and worked in Scotland have made over the centuries.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs

We’re delighted to be hosting this fascinating exploration of the long contacts between Britain and Germany, and to be able to complement it with gems from our own archives that record the presence of Germans in Scotland for more than 400 years. The exhibition has been made possible by our partnership with the German Consulate General in Scotland and the Migration Museum Project.

Tim Ellis, Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland

We are delighted that this important exhibition has found its way to Scotland. A huge number of Germans have become an active part of British society. According to the 2011 census, more than twenty thousand Germans are currently resident in Scotland. As Consul General it has been my pleasure to get to know Germans from all walks of life, who contribute amongst others to Scotland’s higher education institutes, national health services, cultural and even culinary landscape.

Verena Gräfin von Roedern, German Consul General in Scotland

It is very exciting for us at the Migration Museum Project to see German-Scottish histories drawn out and spotlighted in this way, using our exhibition as a backdrop. The long history of German migrants in Scotland, beautifully demonstrated with material from the National Records of Scotland, goes to show that immigration is not just some awkward, new phenomenon, but a rich, old story and one that is, in many cases, still waiting to be told.

Migration Museum Project Director, Sophie Henderson

Germans in Britain is curated by Dr Cathy Ross, Honorary Research Fellow at the Museum of London, and designed by Joe Ewart of Society.
This exhibition has been realised through generous funding from The Schroder Foundation, the Kohn Foundation and a number of private sponsors.

Some English Nietzscheans

Photograph portrait of Nietzsche.

23 June⎪6pm⎪Long room⎪Free admission

Part of a series of talks accompanying our Germans in Britain exhibition run at Murray Edwards College Cambridge.

This talk looks at the rich cultural exchange between England and Germany in the 19th and early 20th century, with a particular focus on the reception of Nietzsche’s philosophy.

To find out more about the exhibition, and to see the exhibition brochure and short film, visit our Germans in Britain page.

For details of how to get to the Long room at Murray Edwards College, visit their Maps and Directions page.

Current exhibition locations – from June 2015

Things are super busy at Migration Museum Project – we can currently be found in several locations! Have a look below for a snapshot of our current exhibition locations and be sure to visit our Events page for full details of these and all associated events. Follow us on Twitter @MigrationUK and sign up to the mailing list to stay up to date with our activity.

 

Keepsakes & 100 Images of Migration at Southbank Centre, London

Our first Keepsakes display and a huge selection of our 100 Images of Migration touring exhibition form part of Southbank Centre’s Adopting Britain exhibition, which they have curated in partnership with Counterpoints Arts and with contributions from a wonderful range of artists and organisations. Interactive, multi-media, and with lots of opportunity to contribute your personal stories and responses, this exhibition is not to be missed!

On until 6 September 2015. To make a day of it, check the Southbank Centre website to see all the great activity (much of it free) they have happening over summer.

Find out more

 

100 Images of Migration at Wardown Park Museum, Luton

Our flagship exhibition has found a simultaneous temporary home at Wardown Park Museum in Luton, where you can see this fascinating and moving selection of photographs up until 19 July 2015. Situated in a beautiful Victorian House within a landscaped park, around one and a half miles north from the centre of Luton, the Wardown Park Museum is a great place to explore Luton’s people and heritage, regiment history and its relationship with lace.

Visit Luton Culture to see what else is on offer at the museum while our exhibition is there – such as a Sikh Fortress Turban spotlight loan from the British Museum.

Find out more

 

Germans in Britain at the University of Reading

The University of Reading is the latest host of Germans in Britain, an exhibition which explores the long and complex story of Anglo-German relations (there’s a lot more to it than war and football!) and the huge contribution of German migrants to Britain over the centuries. The Modern Languages and European Studies department at the University of Reading is hosting a number of associated talks to enable visitors to delve into particular themes and periods – all details can be found in our Events pages. On until 24 March 2017.

Find out more

 

RE·THINK Migration at the National Maritime Museum

We are delighted to be working with the National Maritime Museum to engage visitors, school groups and community groups in their RE·THINK space, which until mid-November focuses on our favourite theme: migration! In addition to self-led and volunteer-led activities guiding you to explore, discover and reflect on and respond to migration-related questions and content, there will be a range of events and workshops in the space over the next 6 months. It all kicks off with Let Us In on Saturday 27 June – a powerful drama performance by the hugely talented A Level students of Corelli College.

Find out more

Selective Affinities: Anglo-German Literary Representations of Science

18 June⎪5pm⎪Long room⎪Free admission

Part of a series of talks accompanying our Germans in Britain exhibition run at Murray Edwards College Cambridge.

This talk sets out to explore how ‘Germans in Britain’ influenced the ‘two culture’ controversy, particularly in literary texts. It looks at mutual exchanges between literature and science in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by showing both parallels and distinctions between scientific and literary cultures in Britain and Germany.

To find out more about the exhibition, and to see the exhibition brochure and short film, visit our Germans in Britain page.

For details of how to get to the Long room at Murray Edwards College, visit their Maps and Directions page.