NGO guides migrant women through Vienna art museum to foster integration

The NGO Nachbarinnen organized guided tours for migrant women at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Christine Scholten, the founder of the organization and a former cardiologist, established the group to help women from immigrant families who often live in isolation. The initiative aims to connect these women with the city's culture and provide them with a sense of belonging in their new home.

Six social assistants from the organization received training in art history covering the periods from the Renaissance to the Baroque. These assistants then led tours for approximately 100 migrant women over two days. The guides spoke to the visitors in languages including Dari, Farsi, Arabic, Turkish, and Somali to ensure everyone could understand the descriptions of the artworks. The tours helped lower the social barriers that often prevent these women from entering prestigious cultural institutions.

Participants expressed interest in the pieces, with some noting similarities between the Bible and the Quran in the museum's collection. Scholten believes that by engaging these women, the organization can also reach the men and children in their families to promote broader social integration.