They came before and during the Second World War as workers, towards the end of the war in 1945 and in the years that followed as refugees or displaced persons and finally as ethnic German resettlers. In addition to the Silesians, many people from other areas of Germany, Europe and the Soviet Union also stayed in Salzgitter.

Salzgitter's 70-year sponsorship of the former German city of Katowice - now the Polish city of Katowice - has prompted the Salder Castle Municipal Museum to present the special exhibition "A piece of heaven?! - Silesian cuisine in Salzgitter". It can be seen from Friday, December 9 to Sunday, February 12, 2023 in the museum's special exhibition hall.

So many people came from the former German province of Silesia, which is now part of Poland, that in 1950 almost one in three people living in the young city of Salzgitter were "Silesians". Conflicts and competition for survival between "locals" and "foreigners" arose, particularly during the hardship of the immediate post-war period.

However, with the founding of the Federal Republic and the "economic miracle", these contrasts disappeared. The groups converged. The presence of the Upper Silesians in particular was so lasting and powerful that Salzgitter took on a sponsorship for the population of the former German city of Katowice in 1951.

With the people came their memories, their identities and, ultimately, intangible cultural assets such as traditions and traditional knowledge. Food, the local "Silesian" cuisine and its recipes and specialties, played a very important role in this. This is because it allowed a simple connection to the past in everyday life, as well as a connection to other people with similar stories. This aspect of one's own biography was often particularly cherished and also passed on within families.

The exhibition "A piece of heaven?!" traces what Silesia and its cuisine were like when "the Silesians" came to Salzgitter - and what "their" Silesian food still means to people living here today. Short, personal stories of people from Salzgitter provide concrete insights into their lives and family traditions. Not least through these highlights, two aspects of human history are brought to life, which once again have a significant impact on our present day: The loss of home and the new beginning in a foreign country.

Admission to the exhibition is free. Access to the exhibition venue on the first floor of the "Kuhstall" special exhibition building is barrier-free.