Empathy and Willkommenskultur: Projecting Germany’s Past Onto Her Present

Wars, political conflicts and civil unrest entail mass movement of people. Displaced, these people escape from threats to their lives such as war crimes and civilian suffering which include food and water shortage and lack of health services. Moreover, these people hope to find a better place for themselves that would be far away from any kind of humanitarian crisis. Since the upsurge in the number of refugees in Europe in 2015, issues associated with refugees such as displacement, parallel societies, hostility and hospitality have been widely discussed. Especially in Germany, there is more effort to make the integration process of refugees a successful one. In this sense, German history is said to serve as a negotiator, which triggers a strong feeling of empathy. Also, experiences that emanate from a divided Germany help people identify themselves with refugees and develop a Willkommenskultur.

This paper will begin with an examination of the trajectory of the refugee issue beginning with the reasons that are behind the recent developments that influenced Europe. Then, focusing on Germany’s role, who has accepted more refugees than any other European country and who has established a Willkommenskultur, I will briefly talk about the specific conditions that correlate Germany’s past and present. Next, I will discuss whether the process of empathy is a projection of the conditions of refugees or a search for meaning and if the past can really be a representational paradigm for the refugee issue.