Belonging in Berlin: An exploration of Syrian refugee-led organisations and volunteerism during COVID-19

Berlin, Europe’s third largest city at the turn of the 20th century, evokes images of the cultural metropolis and industrial center of the Golden Twenties, the darkness and cruelty of the Nazi regime, and decades of Cold War tension. Over 30 years now since the Wall fell, the unified capital has become a popular tourist destination. An international community of artists, academics, diplomats, journalists, and an increasing number of tech start-up workers also call Berlin home, contributing to gentrification and rising living costs across the city. However, not all of Berlin’s newcomers arrived out of choice. Six years after the influx of more than one million refugees in 2015, there are now approximately 50,000 Syrian refugees living in the city.