Kalliope Prize
for practical migration research
The German Emigration Center Foundation and the German Emigration Center regularly award the Kalliope Prize for practical migration research. The prize is endowed with a total of 20,000 euros.
Scientific works and university projects are honored, the research results of which help cultural and educational institutions convey migration sustainably and in a global context. A special focus is on the practical relevance of the research – entirely in line with the approach of the German Emigration Center to prepare German migration history informatively, vividly, and accessibly for different target groups, in order to raise public awareness of this topic.
The prize is aimed at researchers, university departments, or departments of non-university research institutions. The application consists of two interconnected submissions on a given topic:
- a scientific paper or an essay as well as
- a project idea for a possible joint project with the German Emigration Center on a specified topic.
Prize winners
Prize winners 2023
Prof. Dr. Birgit Glorius, Dr. Friederike Enßle-Reinhardt, Stephan Schurig, and Hanne SchneiderChair of Human Geography with a focus on European Migration Research at Chemnitz University of Technology
The research approach of the winners examines communities as social spaces significantly shaped by migration. Involving local citizens allows for a new self-perception in relation to migration. As stated in the award-winning submission, global migration history is “woven into the tapestry of memory of a local society.” Under the keyword of Citizen Science, local citizens are included in the research at eye level, including in the development of city tours. The project culminated in the exhibition “Departures – Upheavals: A Dialogue Between Bremerhaven and Chemnitz,” which was presented in both Chemnitz and Bremerhaven. It illustrates the similarities and differences between the two cities in their history, starting with industrialization in the 19th century. One of the connecting elements is how the economy and local life have been shaped by and with migrants.
Award winner 2019
Prof. Dr. Peter FrankopanProfessor of Global History at the University of Oxford and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research
Oxford professor and bestselling author Prof. Dr. Peter Frankopan was honored for his research on global history through the work Silk Roads. In his work, new perspectives on global events are opened up, exploring global connections from a non-Eurocentric viewpoint. The awarded collaboration project addresses the topic of language: With a questionnaire developed by Prof. Dr. Frankopan, a study is being conducted in cooperation with the Deutschen Auswandererhaus that examines the connection between multilingualism and acculturation in the host country. The study will explore the impact of acquiring and using multiple languages on respondents’ attitudes towards mobility. The results aim to provide multiperspective viewpoints on the topic of language and migration and guide which additional languages could be incorporated into the school curriculum.
Award winner 2017
Prof. Dr. Christoph A. RassInstitute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies of the University of Osnabrück
Prof. Dr. Christoph A. Rass was awarded the Kalliope Prize 2017 for a workshop format he developed that views family history as migration history. The project promotes the understanding that familial migration experiences are predominantly shared in Germany and that these connect society – rather than divide it.
“The workshop participants rediscover their own family history. And thus, Professor Rass succeeds with his project in breaking down the divide between us, the settled, and the others, the migrants,” stated the jury’s reasoning.
Award winner 2015
Prof. Dr. Markus TiedemannInstitute for Comparative Ethics of the Free University of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Markus Tiedemann has made significant contributions to intercultural understanding in schools in both theory and practice. The project awarded the Kalliope Prize 2015 emphasizes training in philosophical judgment and seeks, among other things, to address the value transmission dilemma in the interculturally shaped society of the 21st century.
The researchers around Markus Tiedemann have developed concrete support for “teachers, educators, and engaged citizens”: The publication Our daughter does not participate in swimming lessons! addresses 50 religious-cultural conflict cases that teachers and staff from various school types confront.