Collecting, Sharing and Celebrating Moroccon Migration Stories & Heritage in the Red Star Line Museum ( Antwerp)

The Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp is located in the historic buildings of the shipping company where nearly 2 million European emigrants departed between 1873 and 1934, seeking a better life. Third-class passengers were medically examined before departure, making this location a 'lieu de mémoire' where history and memory intersect, connecting with contemporary migration issues as a migration museum.

In times of xenophobia and polarization, the museum aims to be an open house that inspires and challenges visitors. Its relevance lies in bridging past and present and offering a safer space where migrants can share stories and feel recognised. Therefore, the museum invests in projects and partnerships focused on community engagement, co-creation, well-being, and dialogue.

The focus of this contribution is on migration stories from the Moroccan community in Antwerp. By collecting and preserving stories from different generations Moroccan families, the museum strengthens the involvement of the community and provides a more nuanced picture of migration. These stories preserve cultural heritage and are essential for the Moroccan community to better understand their past and their identity, and connect to the future.

Collecting these stories presents challenges, such as lack of represantation of Moroccon stories in museums, racism, prejudices, language barriers and ethical issues. Through co-creation and participation, these obstacles can be overcome, and long-term relationships can be built, contributing to a more complete picture of migrants' contributions to society. The Red Star Line Museum's approach combines story collection with participation, co-creation, and well-being, ensuring that people feel safe and recognized, which encourages long-term contributions and cooperations.

An example of this is a project with Moroccan women in Antwerp, captured in a documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epx-PQ73z7g

In our presentation, we want to share our experiences over the last 15 years and the lessons learned.