The history of modern art and architecture is characterised by global movements of actors and ideas, which were given additional momentum in the first half of the 20th century by political system changes, dictatorships and wars. The Nazi dictatorship in particular drove numerous artists and intellectuals into emigration after 1933: artists, architects and theoreticians often left their countries of origin in the hope of professional continuity. Particularly in host countries that were undergoing change and upheaval – the Turkish Republic or Palestine are worth mentioning – there were opportunities to continue working artistically or academically. Here, architects and urban planners were able to play a significant role in building infrastructures, cities and institutions. Based on an architectural history of modernism in motion, this essay will reflect on the forms and consequences of transnational transfers. The basic thesis is that migration processes are often accompanied by destabilisation, which affects the migrants as well as their work.