The dream of owning a home is widespread. The desire to build something lasting for themselves and their children determines the savings goal of young couples and families in many countries. But a house can be much more than just a home. The so-called proud houses in Romania are a visible sign of the diligence, success and social advancement of their owners, who left their village for lack of work in order to secure a livelihood for their families in another country. At the same time, the beautiful new house represents the modern Western lifestyle and the newfound aesthetics.
The traveling exhibition, which has already been successfully shown at the Museum of European Cultures in Berlin Dahlem between November 2015 and April 2016, presents exemplary dream houses from the more rural regions of Oasch, Marmarosch and Bukovina in northern Romania. Colorful, multi-story, marble- and granite-decorated, they stand out from the traditional houses. Their owners work throughout the year in Italy, Spain, France or Great Britain. There they secure the existence of their families mostly as construction workers, cleaners, geriatric nurses, harvest workers. Their savings are often used to build large houses in their places of origin. However, they are rarely inhabited. The elderly continue to live in their own homes. They look after those grandchildren who remain behind and the uninhabited houses. Only at Christmas, Easter and in August do the villages fill up. Then people meet, exchange news, August is marked by pompous weddings. After that it becomes quiet again.
The exhibition presents the various aspects of migration and the building boom in northern Romania. It questions the glamour sides and highlights the impact on the village, the region and the landscape. In addition to previous events, the talks at CLB Berlin will relate developments in Romania to those in other countries, highlighting differences and similarities. For the phenomenon is by no means a purely Romanian one, but can also be found in Greece, Turkey, Hungary, Poland and other countries. At the same time, these houses also reflect the fundamental social changes in the countries where the migrants work, including Germany.
A joint project of the Coordination East Central and Southeast Europe at the Museum of European Cultures, National Museums in Berlin and the Romanian Cultural Institute Berlin in cooperation with the CLB Berlin. The program of events is curated by Sally Below, CLB, Raluca Betea, Romanian Cultural Institute Berlin, and Beate Wild, Museum of European Cultures SMB.
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