The Germans in Britain

(now there’s a headline to get Daily Mail readers spluttering over their corn flakes!)

An exhibition that highlights the immense contribution by Germans to British life is being shown in Scotland for the first time at National Records of Scotland.

Among the documents from the national archives chosen to tell the story of Germans in Scotland is a register recording the baptism in 1598 of the son of the German doctor who attended Anne of Denmark, James VI’s queen.

The free exhibition explores the many facets of the long and productive relationship between Germans living and working in Britain and their hosts. It has been created by the Migration Museum Project in order to celebrate the history of co-operation and friendly relations between Britain and Germany.

The pop-up exhibition looks at how German connections have shaped everything from sport, business, the monarchy, science, music and the creative arts, and is complemented by specially selected original documents from the huge holdings of National Records of Scotland.

The exhibition at General Register House, 2 Princes Street, runs from 6 July until 7 August, Monday – Friday, 9am – 4.30.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “This exhibition celebrates the strong historic links between Germany and Britain and highlights bonds between the people of our two nations stemming back hundreds of years. Our archive provides a fascinating insight into some of the close ties that have connected the people of Scotland and Germany over the centuries.”

Tim Ellis, Keeper of the Records of Scotland and Registrar General, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting this fascinating exploration of the long contacts between Britain and Germany, and to be able to complement it with gems from our own archives that record the presence of Germans in Scotland for more than 400 years. The exhibition has been made possible by our partnership with the German Consulate General in Scotland and the Migration Museum Project.”

Verena Gräfin von Roedern, German Consul General in Scotland, said: “We are delighted that this important exhibition has found its way to Scotland. A huge number of Germans have become an active part of British society. According to the 2011 census, more than twenty thousand Germans are currently resident in Scotland. As Consul General it has been my pleasure to get to know Germans from all walks of life, who contribute amongst others to Scotland’s higher education institutes, national health services, cultural and even culinary landscape.”

Sophie Henderson, Project Director, Migration Museum Project, said: “It is very exciting for us at the Migration Museum Project to see German–Scottish histories drawn out and spotlighted in this way, using our exhibition as a backdrop. The long history of German migrants in Scotland, beautifully demonstrated with material from National Records of Scotland, goes to show that immigration is not just some awkward, new phenomenon, but a rich, old story and one that is, in many cases, still waiting to be told.”