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A win for everyone

A unique house is being created

Around one third of all people living in Germany have their own immigration history or that of their family: over 25 million people. Today, as in the past, people with a migration background help shape the country in which we all live together. It is time for a place where their experiences are told as an important part of German history.

The perspectives of migration take center stage
In this black and white graphic you can see a little girl hanging up a lifebuoy. To the left of the lifebuoy are three pictures. Two of them show angular and round contours. The last one on the far left shows the outline of a vessel.

We tell the story of Germany since 1945. With a selection from our collection, we focus on the life stories of people who immigrated to Germany. Their stories are woven into events in German history. Contemporary history thus becomes immediately tangible.

Migration is being de-dramatized
The black and white graphic shows three people looking at a book together.

We counter narratives that are hostile to democracy and migration and seek to divide our pluralistic society with real-life realities. Stories of hope, of new beginnings, of the desire for participation and a better life for all. Migration is being given a face instead of being portrayed as a specter.

Germany becomes a tangible migration society
The graphic shows two women sitting next to each other on a bench. Both are holding leaves of different sizes in their hands.

Migration is a natural part of human history. Our permanent exhibition clearly shows how migration shapes all our lives. We want to inform, we want to move people, we want to inspire reflection, and we want to bring people together.

We are filling a gap in the museum landscape
In the centre of the black and white graphic you can see a cardboard box with the inscription ‘DOMiD’. Inside the box are various things sticking out of the top, such as a camera and a notepad. The box has legs that are in motion.

As the first migration museum founded by migrants, we are unique. Our collection, built up over more than 35 years, preserves the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of migration in Germany. Museum Selma will become the number one destination for the musealization of migration.

A visitor magnet is created
In the center of the illustration, you can see a museum that is symbolically filled with people and objects: folders, speech bubbles, and letters. A piece of the building’s outline is missing, shaped like a puzzle piece.

An unprecedented exhibition dealing with one of the most talked-about topics of our time will attract many people. Whether it's an exhibition, educational program, or events: it will be varied and full of experiences!

In this black and white graphic you can see a little girl hanging up a lifebuoy. To the left of the lifebuoy are three pictures. Two of them show angular and round contours. The last one on the far left shows the outline of a vessel.
The black and white graphic shows three people looking at a book together.
The graphic shows two women sitting next to each other on a bench. Both are holding leaves of different sizes in their hands.
In the centre of the black and white graphic you can see a cardboard box with the inscription ‘DOMiD’. Inside the box are various things sticking out of the top, such as a camera and a notepad. The box has legs that are in motion.
In the center of the illustration, you can see a museum that is symbolically filled with people and objects: folders, speech bubbles, and letters. A piece of the building’s outline is missing, shaped like a puzzle piece.

News

News

This is what the Museum Selma in Hall 70 in Cologne-Kalk might have looked like.

Museum construction

The Museum Selma needs a new location

— The Museum Selma will not be built in Cologne-Kalk as planned. Due to budget limits, a new potential site in Cologne’s city centre is now being considered.

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Ein Raster auf dem ein Wort steht: Stellenangebote. Darunter ist das Museum Selma Logo zu sehen.

Jobs, Architecture

Job offer: Become a part of the Museum Selma team

— Our sponsor DOMiD has advertised an attractive position focused on the Museum Selma: The Project Manager Construction (m/f/d) plays a key role in the creation of our museum. We look forward to welcoming new members to our team!

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Planned entrance hall of the Museum Selma with the logo of the German Design Award 2026 for outstanding architecture.

Architecture

German Design Award: Museum Selma's architecture draft honoured

— The architectural design for the Museum Selma has been honoured with a prestigious award: the German Design Award 2026. The award is presented by the German Design Council as an international award for outstanding design with impact.

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Six women sit opposite each other at a table and show copies of the ‘Möllner Briefe’ (Mölln Letters).

Sammlung

Showing in over 70 cities: ‘The Mölln Letters’ hits the cinemas

— On 25 September 2025, the award-winning documentary film ‘Die Möllner Briefe’ (The Mölln Letters) will be released in cinemas in over 70 cities. The film follows İbrahim Arslan and his family, survivors of the racist arson attack in Mölln in 1992, as they rediscover letters of solidarity that had been ignored for decades. Some of the letters will be exhibited at the Museum Selma in the future.

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Auf dem Bild ist eine alte Industriehalle zu sehen mit aufgerissenem Betonboden und hellem Lichteinfall aus den Oberlichtern des Hallendachs. Am linken Bildrand ist eine Bühne aufgebaut und ein schwarzer Vorhang geöffnet. Dahinter ist das Logo von Museum Selma zu sehen.

The Museum Selma as a guest at MiQua

— MiQua and the Museum Selma have a number of things in common: Both emerged from the initiative of a committed association and both museums are still under construction, but are already focussing on participation before they open. With projects and programmes, the two institutions are already having an impact on urban society and drawing attention to their work.

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In the photo you can see a man standing in front of a car. He is leaning against the car with his arms closed. The car has a german licence plate and a lot of stickers on it.

Today is International Museum Day - and Museum Selma is also taking part

— Even though Museum Selma is not expected to open until 2029, we are taking part in International Museum Day. The online exhibition ‘The millionth. Of people and thwarted plans’ gives a first insight into part of our collection. This small digital exhibition focuses on the field of labour migration.

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You look into a large, light-coloured industrial hall that has been converted into a museum. The black and white museum logo Musem Selma can be seen on a light-coloured wooden wall. People are walking around or sitting on light-coloured wooden stairs.

Architecture

Architecture found: The Museum Selma takes shape

— Where steel sheets were once cast and rolled, the Museum Selma will become a pioneering cultural building in the coming years. Another important milestone has now been reached on the way to the creation of this venue: With Atelier Brückner, an internationally renowned partner for architecture and exhibition design has been found.

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Drawn in fine lines on a green background, you can see how a museum takes shape in a participatory and collaborative way – a woman holds a talking bellows, one hand adds a puzzle piece, another one books, a small person holds a sign over a house that says ‘Museum’.

Publikationen, Partizipation

For a participatory museum: the DOMiDLabs

— Museum Selma sees itself as a place for everyone. For this reason, urban society should be involved in the development process of the museum at an early stage. To this end, DOMiD, the museum's sponsor, launched the DOMiDLabs: Labs for Participatory Museum Design project together with the German Federal Cultural Foundation in 2021. DOMiD provides detailed information about the four labs, the creative process and the experiences in an online brochure.

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Logo des Museums Selma

The museum has a name: Museum Selma.

— The wait is finally over! The national migration museum has been named: Museum Selma. This marks the grand opening of this unique cultural institution, and the name itself offers a glimpse into the museum's identity and future vision.

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Eine Hand hält ein Smartphone, das den Startbildschirm der Museum Selma Webseite zeigt.

The Museum Selma is launching its new website.

— A further step towards reality: Alongside the announcement of the museum’s name, this website goes online, introducing the Museum Selma to the public for the first time. It will continue to grow in the coming years.

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On the way

Milestones

Zu sehen sind in einem historischen Fotos aus den frühen 1990er Jahren mehrere Personen, die an einem Tisch sitzen. Auf dem Foto sind v.l.n.r. Sevtap Sezer, Aytaç Eryılmaz, Muhittin Demiray, Ahmet Sezer und Gönül Göhler zu sehen.

Founding of the association

Migrants from Turkey found the DOMiT e.V. association in Essen.
Their mission: to preserve the cultural heritage of migrants from Turkey in Germany. Their vision: a migration museum.

Zu sehen ist ein Raum aus der Ausstellung "Fremde Heimat" aus dem Jahr 1998 in Essen.

Exhibition ‘Foreign home’

For the first time, an exhibition is prominently dedicated to German migration history. The migrant self-organisation DOMiT is developing this exhibition on an equal footing with the curators of the Ruhrland Museum (now the Ruhr Museum).

Zu sehen sind 2 Personen in einem Ausstellungsraum der Ausstellung "Projekt Migration" aus dem Jahre 2005 in Köln. Im Hintergrund ist eine Wand mit LPs zu sehen.

Project Migration

As the first project of the newly created Federal Cultural Foundation, the interdisciplinary exhibition Project Migration sets new standards. DOMiT opens up the collection to all regions of origin and migration motifs.

Zu sehen ist eine frühe Visualisierung, wie ein Raum im Migrationsmuseum aussehen könnte. Es stammt aus einer Machbarkeitsstudie, die 2016 durchgeführt wurde.

Feasibility study

The association is now called DOMiD and is pursuing the goal of a migration museum. A feasibility study is working on various realisation options.

Zu sehen ist ein Luftbild der "Hallen Kalk" im rechtsrheinischen Köln.

Position: Cologne

At the request of the Integration Council, the Cologne City Council votes in favour of locating the nationwide migration museum in Cologne. One year later, the ‘Hallen Kalk’ location is finalised.

Zu sehen ist ein 3D-Rendering, wie das spätere Museum aussehen könnte. 2024/25 läuft jedoch ein Architekturwettbewerb, der neue Entwürfe erarbeitet.

The federal and state governments want the museum

The Bundestag and the NRW state parliament each allocate 22.12 million euros to the nationwide migration museum in their budgets. Working title: ‘House of the Immigration Society’ by DOMiD.

Zu sehen ist eine alte Industriehalle, in der Museum Selma entsteht.

First call for tenders and naming

DOMiD initiates a Europe-wide award procedure for architecture and exhibition design. The City of Cologne provides the land and building for 99 years under heritable building rights. A new name is also published: SELMA is born.

Zu sehen ist eine zackige Grafik, in der das künftige Musuemsfoyer abgebildet ist.

The architecture.

The Museum Selma is taking shape: Atelier Brückner, one of the world’s leading exhibition designers, has been awarded the contract for the architecture and exhibition design. The preliminary design for the Kalk site will be successfully completed in December and submitted for technical review.

Eine abstrakte Form mit Bezug auf das SELMA-Logo.

Reorientation

Not Kalk, but Cologne: The Museum Selma needs a new location.

Eine abstrakte Form mit Bezug auf das SELMA-Logo.

Planning and authorisations

During this phase, the construction and exhibition plans are being refined and applications are being submitted. The Museum Selma is awaiting approvals and moving forward with digitization.

Eine abstrakte Form mit Bezug auf das SELMA-Logo.

Construction phase

The Museum Selma is expected to be built.

Eine abstrakte Form mit Bezug auf das SELMA-Logo.

Opening

It is not yet possible to estimate when the museum will be able to open.

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