Work was never the whole story.
The term ‘guest worker’ reduced people to a temporary economic role. Yet someone who works, pays taxes, takes responsibility and builds a family is more than a guest: they become part of society.
From Guest to Neighbour.
MIGRATION HISTORY · REMEMBRANCE · RESPONSIBILITY
The faces of migration historyFrom ‘guest’ to neighbour.
The Austrian-Turkish labour recruitment agreement of 1964 left a lasting mark on Austria. What began as temporary recruitment for economic purposes became the story of people, families and generations who lived, worked and built a shared future here.
People came.
We called for workers; people came.Adapted from a thought by Max Frisch
People bring more than their labour. They bring life stories, feelings, hopes, skills and families. This human reality lies at the heart of our understanding of participation.
A voice of their own.
In his German-language album ‘Die Kanaken’ in 1984, Cem Karaca gave powerful artistic expression to the experiences of Turkish migrants: ‘I am not just a guest worker.’ Behind every label is a person with a name, dignity and a family history.
Recruited workers became neighbours.
The story did not end at the factory gates. Workers became colleagues, parents, association members and neighbours. Today, their children and grandchildren help shape Austria’s economy, culture, science and civil society.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ATZP
For us, this history is both remembrance and responsibility. We honour the contributions of the first generations, strengthen the participation of their children and grandchildren, and open our work to everyone. Remembrance becomes responsibility, encounters become partnerships, and diversity becomes a shared future in Austria.