Keyword – Madgermanes

Maksa, Gyula – Murányi, Kata:

Migration in Birgit Weyhe’s Graphic Novel Madgermanes

In the decade following 1979, more than 16,000 guest workers arrived in the GDR from Mozambique. Three of them are the protagonists of Birgit Weyhe’s graphic novel Madgermanes (2016) in which they recount their stories about the difficulties of integration and their struggles in search of a home. The graphic novel portrays migration experiences and cultural shock primarily through the lens of 1980s popular and urban culture, making it a fitting example of an Afropolitan work that participates in the emerging canon of world graphic literature.

Keywords: graphic novel, cultural shock, Madgermanes, migration, GDR