Italians in Germany

Italians in Germany consist of ethnic Italian migrants to Germany and their descendants, both those originating from Italy as well as from among the communities of Italians in Switzerland. Over time most Italians moved from home to Germany for reasons of work. Some also left for personal relations, study, or political reasons. Today, Italians in Germany form one of the largest Italian diasporas in the world and account for one of the largest immigrant groups in Germany.

History

Italian emigrants in Germany (called "Gastarbeiter"), receiving instruction in 1962

Large numbers of Italians have resided in Germany since the early Middle Ages, particularly architects, craftsmen and traders. During the late Middle Ages and early modern times many Italians came to Germany for business, and relations between the two countries prospered. The political borders were also somewhat intertwined under the German princes' attempts to extend control over all the Holy Roman Empire, which extended from northern Germany down to southern Italy. During the Renaissance many Italian bankers, architects and artists moved to Germany and successfully integrated in the German society.

When the huge Italian emigration of the 19th century began, only a few Italians moved to the German Empire under Prussian rule.

With Germany's post-World War II economic boom (Wirtschaftswunder), a large wave of immigrants from Italy relocated to Germany. Italy and Germany have been joint members of the European Coal and Steel Community (later the European Economic Community). Since the establishment of freedom of movement for workers between the two countries in 1961, more than 580,000 Italians migrated to Germany for work, mainly from southern and north-eastern Italy.

The workers in the Contemporary Art Museum of Casoria in Naples, Italy, proposed a plea of assylum to Germany.^[1]

Social integration

Italians in Germany are actively involved both in regional and federal German politics; areas of concern are European integration and assimilation.

They also had a substantial influence on the development of Fine Arts in Germany from Romanesque and Gothic architecture to contemporary fashion and design.

Employment

Italians in Germany run a lot of businesses mainly in the following areas:

• restaurants, coffee shops and food markets
• retail and fashion
• art and media

Italian-run Assicurazioni Generali and Unicredit are some of Germany's largest insurance and finance companies and employers.

Notable people

• Mario Adorf
• Angelo Barletta
• Bernhard Bolzano
• Manuela Gallina
• Lujo Brentano
• Clemens Brentano
• Ferruccio Busoni
• Leo von Caprivi
• Diego Contento
• Rudolf Caracciola
• Luigi Colani
• Maurizio Gaudino
• Johann Maria Farina
• de:Reto Francioni
• Romano Guardini
• de:Vittorio Hösle
• Bruno Maderna
• Denis Moschitto (born to an Italian father and Turkish mother)
• Oliver Neuville
• Franka Potente
• The House of Thurn und Taxis
• Feliciano Vargas

See also

• Germany–Italy relations

Bibliography

• Johannes Augel - Italienische Einwanderung und Wirtschaftstätigkeit in rheinischen Städten des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts - Bonn, L. Röhrscheid, 1971.
• G. Corni, C. Dipper - Italiani in Germania tra Ottocento e Novecento: spostamenti, rapporti, immagini, influenze - Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006, ISBN 88-15-10731-2.
• Marco Fincardi - Emigranti a passo romano: operai dell'Alto Veneto e Friuli nella Germania hitleriana - Verona, Cierre, 2002, ISBN 88-8314-179-2.
• Brunello Mantelli - Camerati del lavoro. I lavoratori emigrati nel Terzo Reich nel periodo dell'Asse 1938-1943 - Scandicci, La Nuova Italia, 1942.
• Claudia Martini - Italienische Migranten in Deutschland: transnationale Diskurse - Amburgo, D. Reimer, 2001, ISBN 3-496-02496-8.

References

External links

• Italian emigration in Germany during the 20th century (in German)
• Website of the Italiani in Germany
• Webgiornale.de, News from the Italian community in Germany
• 'emigrazione+italiana&cd=1#v=onepage&q=germania&f=false Italians in Germany, from Storia dell'emigrazione italiana pag.121 (in Italian)
• Italian Embassy in Berlin