Lost Homes: Materialising the Meaning of Home for Refugees Offenbach Am Main

Hiba Karam

Research Project | M.Sc. International Cooperation in Urban Development

Introduction

In recent decades, the world has been engulfed by the displacement crisis more than ever before. As a result, refugees are, in the crudest way, sharing the definite home loss. The defining loss of a home is a huge trauma endured; however, such trauma could be mitigated if people are given a chance to reconstruct their home by reproducing some of its qualities. Thus, it is important to understand what home means to people who have lost it and deduce which specific qualities of home they feel are most vital for reconstruction to help them construct a home in their new environment. Therefore, this research attempts to materialise and understand the refugees‘ meaning of home. More specifically, this research aims to investigate how refugees construct familiarity and foster home experiences. Within the framework of this research, “home” is defined as a complex, multifaceted experience that encompasses four aspects. See Figure 1.

Research Method

Following a case study approach, the research takes Offenbach am Main, Germany, as the study area. Offenbach was chosen because it was featured at the architectural biennale in Venice in 2016 in the German Pavilion as a prototype of an “Arrival City” and hailed as an example of largely successful integration policies. The research investigates the personal lived experiences of refugees in their domestic environment and their connection with the broader physical and social surroundings, using ethnographic methods, namely, in-depth interviews and photovoice exercises of two participants. The participants were a woman (N, 70 years) and a man (J, 26 years). They lived in Offenbach

for 37 years and 4 years, respectively.

Findings

The first part of the finding compares the narratives from the in-depth interview to the developed conceptual framework (Figure 1). The findings show that all four aspects influenced the respondents’ feeling of home. Both participants perceived their homes as places that provided shelter, comfort, and protection and created space for social and relationship interaction. It was also where the memories of home were relieved. For example, J expressed that his home is where he constructed a comfortable lifestyle: Mycomfortislinkedtomyflat.Idonotliketosleepoutside, notinmybed.IoncetravelledtoParis,andwhenI wasbackatthestation,Ilookedaround;IfeltlikeI hadreturnedtowhereIbelonged.Forme,thisisthe Mawtin(home)towhichIadaptedmyself.Itisvery difficulttoleavethisnewlifestyleImadeformyself.

N also stated: IamhappythatIamhere.Imade ahomeformyself,andIlikeit,especiallyduring Corona.Iwasmostlyhome.Iwasneveragoodcook, butIcooked,backedandgavetomyneighbours.I liketogivetopeople,anditmakesmereallyhappyto share....Ingeneral,Ifeelreallygoodhere...Idesigned myapartmentasIlikedit.ItisthefreedomwhichI have.IcanbeoutandcomebackwheneverIwant.

The second part discusses the findings from the photovoice exercise. During this exercise, the respondents were asked to share pictures demonstrating what contributed to their feeling of home.

Presentation of Aesthetic Values: these aesthetic values relate to the participants‘ cultural affiliations and their cultural value of beauty. It can also be the expression of individuality and personalised taste.

Relational Interacting with Others through Music: J expressed that the love he receives from other tenants influences his feeling of home. He gave an example of what he perceived as love, the compliments he received when playing the Oad.

apartment in the whole neighbourhood would have a balcony where the entire family would sit. So he made it his daily routine to drink his coffee on the balcony and to take care of the plants. It is worth noting that since J was displaced more recently, compared to N, his feelings about what home is are more influnced by his lost home.

Offenbach Diversity and Integration

Policies: since the home boundaries seemingly extend beyond its walls (Mallett, 2004), both participants conveyed that their feeling of home and belonging expanded to include the city of Offenbach. As the city has a diverse population, both participants do not feel like a stranger or the other. On the contrary, For example, N considers herself part of the city: I love Offenbach. 65% here have a migrant background.Iloveit!Iampartofthiscity,andIdid alotforthiscity.IwaspartoftheAusländerbeirat (Advisory Board for Foreigners), Stadt parliament, Anti-discrimination champagne and inter-cultural weeks. These topics, for me, are very important becauseIseemyselfaspartofthechangeherein Offenbach,whichalsomakesmehappy.

Conclusion

The research results support a conception of the home as an ‘‘appropriation’’ of a space. The appropriation happens through the everyday relational and social process and socio-cultural practices that can express one’s (possibly fluid) identity and sense of self. A sense of home can be associated with even small objects, not just built environments and social atmospheres. This process can be time-dependent; the longer one inhabits a space, the more appropriation occurs. The threshold for refugees to establish such homes is their ‘’Right to the City’’ through appropriation and participation in urban life, which further contributes to their sense of belonging.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework from (Després,1991), (Fadlalla, 2011), (Taylor, 2013), (Kearns et al, 2000) and (Al-Ali et al., 2002).

Figure 2. N Iranian wall decoration.

Figure 3. J Syrian wall decoration.

Figure 5. N and her group playing the Daf in a park.

Figure 4. J’s Oad.

In the same way, for N, interacting with others in the park to play an Iranian musical instrument is considered an enjoyable

activity.

Housing Typology and Memories of the Lost Home: J’s residential history in Syria influenced his images of home. Reflecting on his lost home in Syria, he describes how each

Figure 6. the balcony at J’s apartment.