"1992 Pogrom Commemoration: Exhibition Displaying Daily Vietnamese Life"
In the heart of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Rostock-based association Diên Hông has been working tirelessly to document and showcase the personal experiences and life stories of Vietnamese individuals living in the region. The result is the exhibition "Life Journeys - Vietnamese Rostockers Share Their Stories", which is set to be on display at the town hall from August 25 to September 4 this year.
The exhibition is a testament to the diverse backgrounds, challenges, and contributions of the Viet-German community in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. By collecting and presenting these narratives, Diên Hông aims to deepen understanding of the community’s heterogeneity beyond stereotypes or singular identity portrayals.
The project, which was implemented between 2023 and 2024, began with ten interviews conducted with representatives of the first and second generations from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. These interviews delved into topics such as education, homeland, racism, and the relationship between parents and children. The insights gathered from these conversations were used to prepare a short film named "From Afar", providing a glimpse into the challenges that arise from the experiences of the generations.
Two radio workshops in September 2023 facilitated intergenerational exchange, with results from discussion groups in Rostock and Anklam prepared as audio contributions. The exhibition itself features biographies of Vietnamese contract workers and their families in Germany, connecting their stories with political and societal changes.
One of the biographies centrally featured in the exhibition is that of Nguyễn Hoa Thành, who came to Germany as a contract worker in 1987. Another is Trần Minh Đất, who was born in Rostock in 1991. The first generation of Vietnamese contract workers often remained silent and invisible to build a secure life, while the post-reunification generation displays a new sense of self-awareness, actively advocating for their rights and consciously reflecting on their parents' stories, as shown in the exhibition.
In October 2023, Diên Hông organized a conference to discuss the history and present of the Vietnamese-German community and create networks for future projects. This year, the events of the 1992 Rostock-Lichtenhagen pogrom are deeply ingrained in the city's collective memory, serving as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by the community.
The exhibition "Life Journeys" has been repeatedly revised since its first development in 2012-2014. Selected interviews have been published as biographies on a website, providing a lasting record of the community's stories. Two events provide space for dialogue: a film screening and discussion at Frieda23 on August 25, and a discussion at Rostock Town Hall on September 3.
Through first-person accounts, the exhibition fosters greater appreciation of the complex social fabric within Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Vietnamese population and contributes to broader discussions about migration, integration, and multiculturalism in Germany. The "Life Journeys" exhibition is an invitation to understand the diversity of the Viet-German community in MV and appreciate the multifaceted realities of Vietnamese migrants and their descendants in the German context.
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