guest worker
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guest worker
A term for foreign workers who came from the 1950s onward, especially to Germany, to work there temporarily. The term is historically marked and is often considered outdated today.
Viele ehemalige Gastarbeiter aus der Türkei und Italien sind mit ihren Familien in Deutschland geblieben.
Many former guest workers from Turkey and Italy stayed in Germany with their families.
The word consists of 'Gast' (guest) and 'Arbeiter' (worker). It literally describes a worker who is in the country only as a guest for a limited time. This literal meaning is why the term is often considered inappropriate today.
Die Idee des „Gastarbeiters“ war, dass die Menschen nur vorübergehend bleiben.
The idea of the 'Gastarbeiter' (guest worker) was that people would stay only temporarily.
This term is strongly connected with German history after the Second World War, especially with the 'Wirtschaftswunder' (economic miracle) of the 1950s and 1960s. Today, it is used mainly in historical contexts.
Mein Großvater kam in den 60er Jahren als Gastarbeiter nach Deutschland.
My grandfather came to Germany in the 1960s as a guest worker.
The term 'Gastarbeiter' (guest worker) is considered outdated today and is perceived by many as distancing or even discriminatory. In modern everyday language, it is usually avoided.
Die Ausstellung dokumentiert das Leben der ersten Gastarbeiter in der Stadt.
The exhibition documents the lives of the first guest workers in the city.
migrant
'der Migrant' and 'der Gastarbeiter' can both refer to people who come from another country and live or work in a new place. 'Migrant' is the more general term: it only says that someone has left their home for a longer period of time or permanently. 'Gastarbeiter' is narrower and historically marked. It mainly refers to foreign workers who came to Germany from the 1950s onward to work there. Today, 'Gastarbeiter' often sounds outdated. The words can be confused because many guest workers were also migrants. But not every migrant is a guest worker.
Mein Großvater kam in den 1960er Jahren als Gastarbeiter nach Deutschland.
My grandfather came to Germany as a guest worker in the 1960s.
Der Migrant lebt seit fünf Jahren in der Stadt und arbeitet in einer Bäckerei.
The migrant has lived in the city for five years and works in a bakery.