ABSTRACT
In 2015, most Germans welcomed the 890,000 refugees who arrived unexpectedly, arguably in reaction to the widely condemned horrors of the Syrian war. An unprecedented wave of volunteers began to assist, and local government and states provided accommodation. The federal asylum bureaucracy was less effective and could not process applications in due time for two years. First hopes of an easy integration were disappointed, as it takes time to find jobs for Syrians or Afghans (the leading nationalities of refugees) in the highly specialized German economy. Terrorist acts created fears, and the discourse became polarized. Based on the analysis of public opinion trends, media coverage, political statements, and implementation statistics, this chapter covers the variance and internal logics of political and administrative processes, citizen engagement, and the media, which tended to create moral heroes and villains of the main politicians involved – especially Chancellor Angela Merkel. It finds that the crisis and its handling by the parties changed the political scene in Germany.
