From occupation to opportunity: A look at the life paths of former children of the occupation period
In the organizer's words:
Program "1945 - 2025 Zero Hour? How we became what we are" (Public History Munich, Cultural Department)
From occupation to opportunity: A look at the life paths of former children of the occupation period
15:30 - 18:00
Talk & film in English
Despite the ban on fraternization and legal hurdles that made relationships between "occupiers" and "occupied" difficult, they did exist. What happened to the many children born to African-American GIs and German women? Regina Griffin's film "Brown Babies. The Mischlingskinder Story". The title of the award-winning documentary refers to the terms with which the children were confronted and racially devalued in the USA and Germany. The scientifically based film portrays several children born in Germany who were adopted into the USA. Among them is panelist Peter Grammer. Following the screening, Peter Grammer will give an insight into his life in conversation with Circe Olson Woessner and talk about his adoptive parents Mabel and Oscar Grammer. The American historian Silke Hackenesch will provide an academic perspective on the topic.
- Peter Grammer, contemporary witness
- Benjamin F. Bowman, contemporary witness
- Silke Hackenesch Amerika-Institut of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Introduction
- Circe Olson Woessner Director of the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center, moderator
Film "Brown Babies. The Mischlingskinder Story" by Regina Griffin (2010, 60 min., English original) and discussion in English
Organizer: Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center in cooperation with Karin Pohl, Freunde Giesings e.V. / Kulturzentrum Giesinger Bahnhof
Pictures: 1-3 Kulturreferat München, 4 CD Cover
The event takes place as an accompanying program of the exhibition Amis in the McGraw Kaserne.
Exhibition
Location: Munich State Building Authority 1 / Tegernseer Landstraße wing
Opening hours: Tue - Sun 14.00 - 20.00 accessible | not barrier-free
Exhibition and supporting program designed by:
Dr. Karin Pohl with Elvira Auer, Dr. Willibald Karl
Partners involved:
- Friends of Giesing e.V.
- Munich Police Headquarters
- Munich State Building Authority 1
- Public History Munich, Department of Culture
This exhibition and the accompanying program are part of the program 1945 | 2025 "Stunde Null? How we became what we are" of the Cultural Department | public history of the City of Munich
How could a new beginning succeed after the devastation of National Socialism, after the unbridled rush for power and Europe-wide destruction? Especially in Munich, formerly the "capital of the movement"? How could a democracy grow? How were totalitarian legacies dealt with beyond denial and indifference? Where is the boundary between memory, repression and ideology? How did the constituent urban society deal with what the people of Neumünchen "brought with them", with their respective origins, culture and experiences? What was selected, what was left out, who was integrated, who was overlooked?
The 130 partner institutions participating in the "Stunde Null?" program are looking for answers to these questions. From January to May 2025, a total of more than 220 events will invite the public to reflect and exchange ideas, readings, lectures, exhibitions, art actions and art talks, tours and bike rides, film and music - around two thirds of which are free admission.
The events in the calendar of the supporting program. The entire program is available for download as a PDF. The printed brochure is also available at the Kulturzentrum Giesinger Bahnhof.
Registration
Tickets are available at the following link:
Admission
FreeAccessibility
The premises of the event are barrier-free accessible
With support / in cooperation
Further upcoming events
Price information:
Admission free
Location
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