Press release from Warren Wilson College:
Immigration is the topic of conversation as Warren Wilson College concludes its free lecture series. Faculty member Christine Nugent explores Germany’s current refugee policies in a multimedia presentation set for Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. Nugent also discusses the most recent wave of immigrants and Dresden’s anti-refugee Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) movement.
A native German, Nugent returned to her home country last summer to interview 20- and 30-year-old women who emigrated from Poland, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Africa. In addition to questions about Germany’s modern migrant population increase, she also asks interviewees to reflect on the nation’s National Socialist past and its legacy. Nugent’s research and presentation are timely as migration takes center stage in the global geopolitical conversation.
“My summer travels left me feeling impressed by Germany’s exemplary welcoming culture for immigrants,” said Nugent, who is director of Warren Wilson College’s Pew Learning Center and Ellison Library. “As we dive into the reasons for the rise of PEGIDA, it’s possible to find parallels with American immigration commentary, which took a pivotal role in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election.”
PEGIDA, has been described as the anti-government establishment protest movement emanating from constituents that see themselves as not represented by the political establishment and dismissed by the elites, according to Nugent. The lecture weaves this viewpoint and pro-immigration initiatives together for a unified yet multifaceted snapshot of Germany in the summer of 2016.
Nugent’s lecture is titled “Impressions from Germany: Immigrant Women and the Legacy of National Socialism, a Welcoming Culture for Refugees and the Anti-Refugee Movement PEGIDA.” It is the final installment of the “Politics Then and Now” free series. Nugent presents her lecture in the third-floor lecture hall of Jensen Humanities and Social Science Center on the Warren Wilson College campus.
For more information, call (828) 771-3758.
Many of the migrant could be placed very nicely in the barracks around Heidelberg, Germany. The locations offer everything needed in the way of buildings, schools, libraries, movie theaters, some are like small towns. Close to public transport, and well maintained, when they were turned back over to the German government. Patrick-Henry Village to name just one. Okay, and good luck working with the new populations.