Bonka von Bredow
Archaeologist
Bonka von Bredow Headshot

Bonka von Bredow, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, has studied Near Eastern Archaeology, Assyriology, and Classical Archaeology at the Ruprecht-Karls University in Heidelberg. During her studies, she worked as an archaeologist in Kültepe-Kanish in Central Turkey. Currently, she is working on a project “Documentation of Migrant History in Mannheim,” which is initiated by the MARCHIVUM, the city archive of Mannheim. This project aims to collect materials and documents from migrants, their clubs and associations, cultural and religious places, to represent the whole diverse society of Mannheim in the city archive as a collective heritage. Due to her project, she is participating in a workgroup of the city of Mannheim, which is planning to establish a “remembrance place” for the so-called “Gastarbeiter” of the first generation, who moved to the city due to the recruitment agreements for “guest workers” made by the Federal Republic of Germany. (1955-1968). Her main interest lies in the awakening processes within the city of Mannheim to remember, to remain migrant histories, to shape new remembrance places for migrants, and to build a stronger and more open society.