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WHO CARED – SPÄTI
Event by: Humboldt Forum
Location: Schloßplatz, Schloßplatz, Berlin - Mitte
About event
[English below] WHO CARED – Intergenerational conversations about home and care migration
The care shortage and care migration are not a new phenomenon. As early as the 1960s and 70s, people from abroad were systematically placed in the Federal Republic in order to close the personnel gap in the nursing sector. Most of them came from South Korea, the Philippines and India. Their experiences shape German history - but often remain invisible.
WHO CARED makes these stories visible: In video portraits, the online archive records the life stories of these women who left their homeland more than 60 years ago to work in care. What's special: They are interviewed by their children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews.
With a focus on care migration from Kerala in southern India, Urmila Goel and Viola Mattathil-Reuther talk about researching this immigration history - and what we can learn from it for the present, when Germany is once again increasingly recruiting people from India and other countries as nursing staff. At the age of 16, Thressiamma Arackal came to the Federal Republic from Kerala in 1975, worked as a nurse in Hamm (Westphalia) for 40 years and started a family. During a conversation with her son Abhilash, she talks about her experiences. The two provide insights into WHO CARED's archiving and remembrance work. There are also drinks at the bar and the appropriate music by Manoj Kurian.
What boundaries does migration draw between the worlds of experience of two generations? What longings shape them? How do the former nurses view care, migration and their own history?
Thressiamma Arackal's story and two other films from the project can be seen in the exhibition of the annual program Relating to Family in the Humboldt Forum until July.
More information: https://kurzlinks.de/imj5
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[EN] WHO CARED - Intergenerational Conversations on Belonging and Care Migration
Shortage of care workers and care migration are not new phenomena. As early as the 1960s and 70s, people from abroad were systematically recruited to the Federal Republic of Germany to fill staffing gaps in the care sector. Most of them came from South Korea, the Philippines and India. Their experiences have shaped German history — yet they often remain invisible.
WHO CARED makes these stories visible. In video portraits, the online archive preserves the life stories of the women who left their homes more than 60 years ago to work in care. What makes the project special: they are interviewed by their children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews.
With a focus on care migration from the South Indian state of Kerala, Urmila Goel and Viola Mattathil-Reuther discuss how this migration history can be researched — and what we can learn from it for the present, as Germany once again increasingly recruits people from India and other countries to work in care. At the age of 16, Thressiamma Arackal herself came to the Federal Republic from Kerala in the 1975, worked as a nurse in Hamm (Westphalia) for 40 years and started a family. In a conversation with her son Abhilash, she talks about her experiences. The two provide insights into the archiving and remembrance work of WHO CARED. The talks will be accompanied by music by Manoj Kurian and the bar will be open.
What kinds of boundaries does migration draw between the lived experiences of two generations? What longings shape these lives? How do former nurses look back on care work, migration and their own histories?
Thressiamma Arackal’s story and two additional films from the project can be viewed in the exhibition of the annual program Family Matters at the Humboldt Forum until July 2026.
Further information: https://kurzlinks.de/whhq
Picture credits: Image 1: WHO CARED Visual / Späti 09.01.2026 © WHO CARED / Masala Movement e. V.
Image 2: WHO CARED Interview Behind the Scenes © WHO CARED / Masala Movement e. v.
The care shortage and care migration are not a new phenomenon. As early as the 1960s and 70s, people from abroad were systematically placed in the Federal Republic in order to close the personnel gap in the nursing sector. Most of them came from South Korea, the Philippines and India. Their experiences shape German history - but often remain invisible.
WHO CARED makes these stories visible: In video portraits, the online archive records the life stories of these women who left their homeland more than 60 years ago to work in care. What's special: They are interviewed by their children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews.
With a focus on care migration from Kerala in southern India, Urmila Goel and Viola Mattathil-Reuther talk about researching this immigration history - and what we can learn from it for the present, when Germany is once again increasingly recruiting people from India and other countries as nursing staff. At the age of 16, Thressiamma Arackal came to the Federal Republic from Kerala in 1975, worked as a nurse in Hamm (Westphalia) for 40 years and started a family. During a conversation with her son Abhilash, she talks about her experiences. The two provide insights into WHO CARED's archiving and remembrance work. There are also drinks at the bar and the appropriate music by Manoj Kurian.
What boundaries does migration draw between the worlds of experience of two generations? What longings shape them? How do the former nurses view care, migration and their own history?
Thressiamma Arackal's story and two other films from the project can be seen in the exhibition of the annual program Relating to Family in the Humboldt Forum until July.
More information: https://kurzlinks.de/imj5
___
[EN] WHO CARED - Intergenerational Conversations on Belonging and Care Migration
Shortage of care workers and care migration are not new phenomena. As early as the 1960s and 70s, people from abroad were systematically recruited to the Federal Republic of Germany to fill staffing gaps in the care sector. Most of them came from South Korea, the Philippines and India. Their experiences have shaped German history — yet they often remain invisible.
WHO CARED makes these stories visible. In video portraits, the online archive preserves the life stories of the women who left their homes more than 60 years ago to work in care. What makes the project special: they are interviewed by their children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews.
With a focus on care migration from the South Indian state of Kerala, Urmila Goel and Viola Mattathil-Reuther discuss how this migration history can be researched — and what we can learn from it for the present, as Germany once again increasingly recruits people from India and other countries to work in care. At the age of 16, Thressiamma Arackal herself came to the Federal Republic from Kerala in the 1975, worked as a nurse in Hamm (Westphalia) for 40 years and started a family. In a conversation with her son Abhilash, she talks about her experiences. The two provide insights into the archiving and remembrance work of WHO CARED. The talks will be accompanied by music by Manoj Kurian and the bar will be open.
What kinds of boundaries does migration draw between the lived experiences of two generations? What longings shape these lives? How do former nurses look back on care work, migration and their own histories?
Thressiamma Arackal’s story and two additional films from the project can be viewed in the exhibition of the annual program Family Matters at the Humboldt Forum until July 2026.
Further information: https://kurzlinks.de/whhq
Picture credits: Image 1: WHO CARED Visual / Späti 09.01.2026 © WHO CARED / Masala Movement e. V.
Image 2: WHO CARED Interview Behind the Scenes © WHO CARED / Masala Movement e. v.