Today, roughly 751,800 Swiss citizens live abroad, distributed over 200 countries across the world. Many have settled down in their new homes, yet others plan to return someday. Migrations are a historical constant: up to the age of the French Revolution, mercenarism was the most common cause for leaving the country, but craftsmen, merchants, clergymen, scholars and other specialists have been on the move in Europe ever since the early modern period. However, mass emigration only became a phenomenon in the 19th century when entire groups of families and entrepreneurs set off for distant shores and continents in the hope of finding economic and private fortune. Among other things, the exhibition addresses the foundation of Swiss expat associations and has fascinating stories to tell about past and present migrants. With the help of extraordinary exhibits, photographs and films, the exhibition shines a light on a number of exceptional people including 'Müller the Turk' from Lucerne, who enjoyed a career as the director of the Oriental Railway in Istanbul.