Podcast series
Kosovar-Albanian Gastarbeiter Family Histories
The first generation came for work and stayed for decades. Their children grew up between two languages, two countries, and two versions of home.
About this series
Labour migration, family memory, and the long arc of settlement
From the 1960s onwards, Balkan men and women left for West Germany, Switzerland, and Austria as Gastarbeiter, guest workers whose labour was wanted but whose presence was never meant to be permanent. They built factories, cleaned hospitals, and sent money home. Many never left.
This series brings together the family histories that were never recorded. Through conversations with descendants and community members, we trace what it meant to build a life in a country that called you a guest.
Episodes in this series explore the conditions of arrival, the experience of the second generation, the role of the Kosovo war in reshaping diaspora identity, and the ongoing question of return.
"They called us guests. We called it home."