Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
Every object in the collection of the German Emigration Center tells a very personal story of emigration or immigration. In this section, we present a different object to you each month – a photograph, a document, or a personal keepsake.
March 2026
Guitar, around 2000
| Size | 76.4 x 27.1 x 7 cm |
| Material | Wood, Plastic |
| Donation | Dr. Annette Ballhorn |
Historical Context
I. What is migration? And who is a migrant? Answering these questions is often not so simple. Various defining characteristics may be relevant here to get closer to an answer. An important aspect of migration is the personal experience and the perception of that experience – a self-definition.
II. Nowadays, what is known as development cooperation understands itself as an equal partnership between so-called donor and recipient countries and has undergone a significant structural change since its beginnings after World War II, yet pursues the same goal: sustainable improvement and cooperation. The initiatives established in the course of development cooperation cover various areas from social to economic.
Brief Biography
After studying medicine in Germany with a specialization in gynecology, Annette Ballhorn emigrated to Rwanda in 2003. At the hospital, she is responsible for the gynecological outpatient clinic, among other duties. Annette Ballhorn describes her working day as challenging and as a sustainably shaping experience. In addition to the medical cases she handled, there were also structural difficulties. After the civil war in Rwanda, the healthcare system had to re-establish itself, which resulted in many patients remaining without care.
“I admired the women and felt a strong sense of solidarity.”(Dr. Annette Ballhorn)
In her private daily life, she visits Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, every other weekend and forges friendships here. After a year in Rwanda, Annette Ballhorn returns to Karlsruhe and starts a family in the following years. In 2004 and 2005, she spends two fourteen-day project trips in Burkina Faso, and in 2011, after another degree, she takes up a full-time position in Ethiopia, accompanied by her family. However, her expectations of making a bigger impact through a stronger focus on systemic-structural work are disappointed. In 2013, she returns to Germany with her family. Nowadays, Annette Ballhorn gives talks, for example, at schools or works as a guest lecturer at the UKE in Hamburg. Awareness-raising and humanitarian efforts hold a high value in her life. Although Annette Ballhorn reports that her professional experiences are also burdensome, she does not rule out further emigration to an African country in the not-too-distant future. However, her first migration experience to Rwanda had the most significant impact on her.
“Rwanda is what I am, with which I identify.” (Dr. Annette Ballhorn)
Significance of the object
Annette Ballhorn receives the guitar from her mother before emigrating to Rwanda. The musical instrument accompanies her to Burkina Faso and Ethiopia as well. During her weekend visits to Kigali, Annette Ballhorn plays music on the guitar with people from the capital in various locations, thereby establishing friendly connections. Through music, she experiences participation in social life. The object thus represents various interpersonal connections for Annette Ballhorn. Additionally, the inside of the guitar features a sticker with the inscription “Play&Learn”. The sticker certainly reflects two important values of Annette Ballhorn.
Do you also …
… have a story of migration of your family that you would like to share along with the associated objects and documents for the collection of the German Emigration Center? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau at the telephone number 0471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or via email at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de
Do You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de