The Adelbert von Chamisso Prize was (up to 2017) awarded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung to honour German-language authors whose works are shaped by a change of culture and an unusual way of using the language. The present article explores the development of the “Chamisso literature” (into which “migrant literature” evolved), its place in literary history and the recent trends it reflects. It also intends to provide an overview of theoretical approaches to the connection between literature, migration and German memory cultures, with special emphasis on the so called “eastern turn” in German literature.