Two historical exhibition projects on a highly current topic are brought together under the title “What Remains.” The seemingly everyday objects tell of touching life stories.

15 objects from five Central and Southeast European museums recall refugee experiences of the kind the continent has witnessed for centuries. Especially in the 20th century, war, genocide, religious and political persecution, poverty, and ethnic conflicts have forced people to leave their homes and find refuge elsewhere. It is a shared European experience, uniting the continent in myriad ways.

In the late 1930s, Lisa Jalowetz studied at Vienna’s Design School of Austria’s Museum of Art and Industry. The scene and costume sketches she created there show the beginnings of a career that was abruptly upended by the “Anschluss,” the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. With the help of her parents, Jalowetz fled to the United States. There, she was able to continue her studies, leading to a successful career on Broadway.

The exhibit "Being a Refugee" is supported by the European Commission, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), the Program "Europe for Citizens“ as well as the Austrian Federal Chancellery.