Official Release of “Erinnerungsmosaik – Những mảnh ghép ký ức: 100 năm DAAD – 50 năm Việt-Đức”

In 2025, the DAAD Regional Office in Hanoi (DAAD Vietnam) organized a writing competition titled “Erinnerungsmosaik – Những mảnh ghép ký ức”, inviting everyone with personal experiences and connections to Germany, whether through travel, study, research, or work, to share their stories.

The submissions far exceeded our expectations. The rich, heartfelt, and deeply moving stories we received inspired us to preserve them in a more lasting form. We started by showcasing the 15 most striking entries were exhibited at key DAAD Vietnam events throughout 2025, including the Celebration of DAAD’s 100th Anniversary held at the residence of the German Ambassador in Hanoi and at the residence of the German Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City. The warm reception from the community strengthened our desire to bring together a complete collection, one that could tell even more stories. With the support of the German Embassy throughout the process, the full collection of 50 stories, 50 fragments of memory, finally came to life.

Together, these 50 stories form a portrait of connection that spans decades. These are memories of a generation who arrived in Germany young, with little preparation and a foreign country ahead of them, and stories of young people still in school today, already dreaming of what might be waiting for them on the horizon.

To every author whose story found its way into these pages: thank you. This collection exists because of you, and we feel fortunate to have been part of your journey, just as you have been part of ours.

To all beloved readers we hope reading this collection brings you joy. And perhaps, somewhere along the way, you’ll find a little piece of yourself within these pages.