Africa: 40 Years On - the African Contract Workers Who Came to Germany and Stayed

22 February 2019

Some of the Mozambicans and Angolans who came as contract workers to East Germany 40 years ago stayed on and witnessed German unification at first hand. Here are two of their stories.

40 years ago, on February 24, 1979, an agreement on the exchange of workers was signed between the then German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the socialist government of Mozambique. As a result, thousands of Mozambicans moved to East Germany as contract workers. Back home they became known as the "Madgermanes", based on the expression "made in Germany."

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