Myths of migration

"Closing borders reduces immigration. Migration is a burden on the welfare state, migration increases crime" – is this really a fact or a myth? Students at the University of Erfurt explored this topic in a seminar as part of the "Studium Fundamentale" and asked what exactly lies behind such myths. The students were supported in their work by Professor Sabine Schmolinsky and Dr Reiner Praß from the History Department, Dr Jochen Voit, the head of the Andreasstraße Memorial and Education Centre, and museum educator and deputy head of the memorial Judith Mayer. They subsequently designed an exhibition in which they juxtapose precisely such assertions with current findings from migration research. Their exhibition will now be shown for the first time as part of the Democracy Festival on 4 July 2026 from 11 am to 3 pm in the Kaufmannskirche in Erfurt.