Dear Friends,
Here we are at the end of our fruitful partnership.
All started 3 years ago when Alasdair invited us to work for and in this inspiring project.
It meant a lot of hard work but also much satisfaction.
We managed to involve hundreds of students, teachers , parents,authorities, who benefited of or supported our work.
While working on the final report I realized once again how wonderful and at the same time how complex our work was.
I want to thank Alasdair, our international coordinator and promotor of the project, for his work.
I also want to thank all the teachers I cooperated with from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Romania.
I want to thank all the students for their dedication and for the wonderful products they managed to make.
The films, the interviews, the PowerPoint presentations, the materials for the project reunions, the materials for the Conference volume, all of them are valuable products.
I met wonderful people and I visited wonderful countries with very hospitable hosts.
Let's hope this is the end of the project but not the end of our cooperation.
I am looking forward to meeting you again in new European events.
Warmest regards to all,
Mariana
Romania
Friday, September 24, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Feedback Janina
Wow- I just can say wow to our trip to Bursa. I’m sure, that we all will never forget this time there. We just met so many nice people in Turkey and in my eyes the nice Turkish students and teachers really tried to make our trip wonderful . I really liked the Turkish hospitality. They all were so outgoing and they wanted us to feel comfortable and happy. So our part, to make them happy was just to eat and say that the meal is pretty good ;). But I’ve to say, that during our trip, I was almost annoyed of the typical Turkish tea, but when I came home, I really missed the students who were saying- “Tea Time”.
So until now, I just talked about the good things there, but there is also one fact, which I don’t like: The rules for the girls. On the one hand I understand, we have to respect the other culture and conventions, but on the other hand, these things made it hard for the girls to talk to the male students beyond the program.
Anyhow, Bursa and the Turkish culture were really interesting for me. It wasn’t my first time in Turkey, but it was the first time I wasn’t in the typical touristic cities. So it was all the more interesting to see and experience Turkish life at close quarters. Especially the Turkish mentality impressed me. Everybody was singing and nobody was ashamed, even if he has a bad voice :D.
So, all in all, I made a great experience with all the other students from the different countries. I think we had a lot of fun together. So, at last, thanks to everyone.
Janina Babst
(Germany)
So until now, I just talked about the good things there, but there is also one fact, which I don’t like: The rules for the girls. On the one hand I understand, we have to respect the other culture and conventions, but on the other hand, these things made it hard for the girls to talk to the male students beyond the program.
Anyhow, Bursa and the Turkish culture were really interesting for me. It wasn’t my first time in Turkey, but it was the first time I wasn’t in the typical touristic cities. So it was all the more interesting to see and experience Turkish life at close quarters. Especially the Turkish mentality impressed me. Everybody was singing and nobody was ashamed, even if he has a bad voice :D.
So, all in all, I made a great experience with all the other students from the different countries. I think we had a lot of fun together. So, at last, thanks to everyone.
Janina Babst
(Germany)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bursa meeting - Feedback of the German students
Comenius Meeting Mai 2010- Feedback of the German students
1. Cem Yada
Before the last meeting of the Comenius Project in Mai 2010 I felt excited as well as nervous, for that there are several reasons: I visited Turkey often before this meeting, but always as usual Tourist and I have only visited my relatives, so I had never got the chance to live in a real Turkish family on my own. This project gave me the chance for that and I feel very thankful to my host family, because they were very friendly to me at all times and it was an honour for me to be Saffets guest for 4 days. All in all the students of the Bursa Polis College were very friendly to us as German delegation. I did not have any problems with any of them. It was really a very interesting stay and I especially enjoyed the talks at the evenings, when students from 5 nations were talking about different themes, their everyday lives as well as about political and economic questions. Of course there were also a few things I did not like very much, but the reason for that is that the life in Turkey is much different than the life I have here in Germany. One thing was for example that it was extremely hot sometimes, especially at the midday it was no pleasure to be on the bus, because it was so much warmer than in Europe. Another point I want to criticize is that I think that at the first day the program was maybe a little bit too much, a little bit too busy as to say but it was great that Mr. Öztürk gave us more free time the following day. The stay in Bursa was all in all very good and I enjoyed it very much, the only real bad thing was that it was so short- maybe it would be better if we had one whole week, because making real friendships takes usually longer than just a few days. The next part took place in Istanbul. This was also real impressive, because the imperial glory of the city with her great mosques and bazaars, her palaces and the Bosporus itself was really a proof for the old Greatness of the Ottoman Empire as well as for the targets the different people can reach if they are working together. As you probably know, at the Ottoman period of the city there were living ethnic groups of different origin in peace and harmony with each other, working and fighting for the Sultan and creating an unbelievable place between two continents, between two worlds. One of my personal highlights also took place in Istanbul, at the Blue Mosque: On Sunday I used the chance to pray there, which was really great and inspiring. In my opinion the Comenius project was one of the best projects I have ever worked for and I would feel honoured if I got the chance to continue working for it, because I see Comenius projects as the first step to a new future of this continent: To a future where the peoples of Europe and Turkey are working hand in hand to create peace for all.
2. Jale Yasan
Yeşil Beyaz- Yeşil Beyaz , Şampion- Bursa, Şampion-Bursa !! Well, I think, this is something we will never foget. The wonderful and proud students who are singing ore better screaming out these words. And there are a lot of other things and memories we will never forget too. It was an awesome and great time which we all spent in Bursa together, and I was and still am very happy to have been able to be a part of this project.
I met so many amazing people and saw so much of Bursa’s culture. It wasn’t my first time there , but I have never seen so many beautiful things. On top, I have never seen so many students who were always saying one phrase aganin and again- Oh no, not again dinner! I’m not hungry ! So, I think the Turkish hosts completely succeeded in trying to make us a “group”- we even had the same thoughts when we heard the words: “ Time for dinner”. But I think the most important aspect ist the turkish hospitality, which I really enjoyed. Their bids for us, to make us feel comfortable really impressed me. But I had the impression that it weren’t really the teachers, more the students who tried this. They always talked to everyone , and tried to make this short time an unforgettable sojourn.
Unfortunately there were some “rules“ for the girls which made it really hard, actually impossible to spend a bit more time with the others and get to know them better after the program. But there was one action which disappointed me most. I was really really happy and glad about the “ Final Meal” in the hotel. I thought it would be a wonderful ending after these days, to eat together with all the other groups. Sadly I was wrong. The turkish students were missing during our meal and so we were really shocked and disappointed about this fact.
Apart from these negative experiences, I really enjoyed our trip to Bursa. With all the police stuff, like driving in the car with the flashing blue light, dalling around with policemen or almost policemen, crossing the streets after someone had stopped the traffic- I really felt like Paris Hilton after some days . But unfortunately there is no one in Germany who stops the the traffic for me ;).
So all in all I really enjoyed our trip to Bursa. It was an instructional and interesting week, with so many fanstastic people.
At the end, I would really like to thank all the involved persons who worked on this project, the teachers, the families and of course the students.
But especially I want to thank all the students of our countries. I really enjoyed our time, and I’ll never forget this trip, where we all made some great expreiences together. You all are very sympathetic and kind persons so that it was impossible not to like you.
Greatings and Kisses from Germany to everyone,
Jale Yasan
3. Vanessa Seifert
My expectations and my cognition
I went to Bursa with mixed feelings.
I already knew some of the Turkish pupils which made me feel more confident.
Of course I was also very much delighted to meet my old friends again.
Because I had already taken part in a meeting here in Germany, I think I knew what would expect me.
I assumed from this that it would be only slightly different from the meeting in Germany, but very soon I had to find out that this was very different. In Bursa we were cordially received and surprised with many program points.
There was so much to see and to find out that you could hardly see everything.
Luckily there were cameras around to take photos of these moments.
Some of the days were very exhausting, so that at the end of these days everyone was very tired and only wanted to go to bed.
All in all, the stay in Bursa was something special and wonderful, because the Turkish hosts have given us an insight into another culture.
This week has helped me to learn something about the culture and to understand some things better, because I have spoken a lot with my host family. My host mother could explain many things to me which perplexed me, because here in Germany you hear many prejudices.
I can say that especially the meeting in Turkey has shown that the different culture cannot be the reason for a lack of integration in e.g. Germany.
All results of the groups and the workshops show to me that the problem is ignorance and lacking clarification what every land should work on. The Comenius project is a very good beginning!
4. Markus Baumeister
It's time for dinner!
Bursa- two million people live in this city, located about 150 km south of Istanbul.
You can recognize these two million people, the city-center is just overcrowded. Bursa is one big traffic jam. Especially on hot days it is difficult to breathe there as a consequence of all the smog.
But that is not the point. It does not matter whether the air is a little bit dirty. What does matter are the people living there and how their mentality is. I really liked the Turkish people. They are communicative and impulsive.
Furthermore, I had the chance to enjoy the Turkish hospitality, for which they are famous all over the world. For instance, we, as guests, received a lot of presents.
Particularly, the food was very, very, very good, but it was too much for my “German-stomach”.
During the stay in Turkey, I learned one important sentence, referring to the meal: “yok, sal”, which means “no, thanks”.
The guys from Bursa Polis Koleji (our partner school) were very interested in telling us something about their culture and their life in Turkey. They even succeeded in bringing the whole group together to sing the hymn of BURSASPOR, the Turkish football champion of 2010.
I really enjoyed spending time together with the whole group (from: Poland, France, Italy, Romania, Turkey and Germany) although there were some language-barriers.
But from my point of view, we had not enough private time with the group of students, because the program was very busy.
We met each other in some restaurants, but every time without the girls. Till today I can't understand why.
There was one point that really irritated me: on the last evening we had dinner together at the hotel where the teachers stayed. It was very nice, with excellent food and excellent furnishings. But where were the Turkish students??? They did not eat together with us. We talked about integration between young people in Europe all the time and then the Turkish group was separated from us. This is not integration!
All in all, I enjoyed the stay in Turkey. It was fantastic to see how real Turkish families live, because I had just known Turkish life from Alanya (in a holiday region). Although there were some problems, we had a nice time together.
At last I wanted to thank my exchange student (Hüseyin Karagöz) and my exchange parents for accomodating me warmly.
With greetings to all Comenius students and teachers,
Markus Baumeister (Germany)
1. Cem Yada
Before the last meeting of the Comenius Project in Mai 2010 I felt excited as well as nervous, for that there are several reasons: I visited Turkey often before this meeting, but always as usual Tourist and I have only visited my relatives, so I had never got the chance to live in a real Turkish family on my own. This project gave me the chance for that and I feel very thankful to my host family, because they were very friendly to me at all times and it was an honour for me to be Saffets guest for 4 days. All in all the students of the Bursa Polis College were very friendly to us as German delegation. I did not have any problems with any of them. It was really a very interesting stay and I especially enjoyed the talks at the evenings, when students from 5 nations were talking about different themes, their everyday lives as well as about political and economic questions. Of course there were also a few things I did not like very much, but the reason for that is that the life in Turkey is much different than the life I have here in Germany. One thing was for example that it was extremely hot sometimes, especially at the midday it was no pleasure to be on the bus, because it was so much warmer than in Europe. Another point I want to criticize is that I think that at the first day the program was maybe a little bit too much, a little bit too busy as to say but it was great that Mr. Öztürk gave us more free time the following day. The stay in Bursa was all in all very good and I enjoyed it very much, the only real bad thing was that it was so short- maybe it would be better if we had one whole week, because making real friendships takes usually longer than just a few days. The next part took place in Istanbul. This was also real impressive, because the imperial glory of the city with her great mosques and bazaars, her palaces and the Bosporus itself was really a proof for the old Greatness of the Ottoman Empire as well as for the targets the different people can reach if they are working together. As you probably know, at the Ottoman period of the city there were living ethnic groups of different origin in peace and harmony with each other, working and fighting for the Sultan and creating an unbelievable place between two continents, between two worlds. One of my personal highlights also took place in Istanbul, at the Blue Mosque: On Sunday I used the chance to pray there, which was really great and inspiring. In my opinion the Comenius project was one of the best projects I have ever worked for and I would feel honoured if I got the chance to continue working for it, because I see Comenius projects as the first step to a new future of this continent: To a future where the peoples of Europe and Turkey are working hand in hand to create peace for all.
2. Jale Yasan
Yeşil Beyaz- Yeşil Beyaz , Şampion- Bursa, Şampion-Bursa !! Well, I think, this is something we will never foget. The wonderful and proud students who are singing ore better screaming out these words. And there are a lot of other things and memories we will never forget too. It was an awesome and great time which we all spent in Bursa together, and I was and still am very happy to have been able to be a part of this project.
I met so many amazing people and saw so much of Bursa’s culture. It wasn’t my first time there , but I have never seen so many beautiful things. On top, I have never seen so many students who were always saying one phrase aganin and again- Oh no, not again dinner! I’m not hungry ! So, I think the Turkish hosts completely succeeded in trying to make us a “group”- we even had the same thoughts when we heard the words: “ Time for dinner”. But I think the most important aspect ist the turkish hospitality, which I really enjoyed. Their bids for us, to make us feel comfortable really impressed me. But I had the impression that it weren’t really the teachers, more the students who tried this. They always talked to everyone , and tried to make this short time an unforgettable sojourn.
Unfortunately there were some “rules“ for the girls which made it really hard, actually impossible to spend a bit more time with the others and get to know them better after the program. But there was one action which disappointed me most. I was really really happy and glad about the “ Final Meal” in the hotel. I thought it would be a wonderful ending after these days, to eat together with all the other groups. Sadly I was wrong. The turkish students were missing during our meal and so we were really shocked and disappointed about this fact.
Apart from these negative experiences, I really enjoyed our trip to Bursa. With all the police stuff, like driving in the car with the flashing blue light, dalling around with policemen or almost policemen, crossing the streets after someone had stopped the traffic- I really felt like Paris Hilton after some days . But unfortunately there is no one in Germany who stops the the traffic for me ;).
So all in all I really enjoyed our trip to Bursa. It was an instructional and interesting week, with so many fanstastic people.
At the end, I would really like to thank all the involved persons who worked on this project, the teachers, the families and of course the students.
But especially I want to thank all the students of our countries. I really enjoyed our time, and I’ll never forget this trip, where we all made some great expreiences together. You all are very sympathetic and kind persons so that it was impossible not to like you.
Greatings and Kisses from Germany to everyone,
Jale Yasan
3. Vanessa Seifert
My expectations and my cognition
I went to Bursa with mixed feelings.
I already knew some of the Turkish pupils which made me feel more confident.
Of course I was also very much delighted to meet my old friends again.
Because I had already taken part in a meeting here in Germany, I think I knew what would expect me.
I assumed from this that it would be only slightly different from the meeting in Germany, but very soon I had to find out that this was very different. In Bursa we were cordially received and surprised with many program points.
There was so much to see and to find out that you could hardly see everything.
Luckily there were cameras around to take photos of these moments.
Some of the days were very exhausting, so that at the end of these days everyone was very tired and only wanted to go to bed.
All in all, the stay in Bursa was something special and wonderful, because the Turkish hosts have given us an insight into another culture.
This week has helped me to learn something about the culture and to understand some things better, because I have spoken a lot with my host family. My host mother could explain many things to me which perplexed me, because here in Germany you hear many prejudices.
I can say that especially the meeting in Turkey has shown that the different culture cannot be the reason for a lack of integration in e.g. Germany.
All results of the groups and the workshops show to me that the problem is ignorance and lacking clarification what every land should work on. The Comenius project is a very good beginning!
4. Markus Baumeister
It's time for dinner!
Bursa- two million people live in this city, located about 150 km south of Istanbul.
You can recognize these two million people, the city-center is just overcrowded. Bursa is one big traffic jam. Especially on hot days it is difficult to breathe there as a consequence of all the smog.
But that is not the point. It does not matter whether the air is a little bit dirty. What does matter are the people living there and how their mentality is. I really liked the Turkish people. They are communicative and impulsive.
Furthermore, I had the chance to enjoy the Turkish hospitality, for which they are famous all over the world. For instance, we, as guests, received a lot of presents.
Particularly, the food was very, very, very good, but it was too much for my “German-stomach”.
During the stay in Turkey, I learned one important sentence, referring to the meal: “yok, sal”, which means “no, thanks”.
The guys from Bursa Polis Koleji (our partner school) were very interested in telling us something about their culture and their life in Turkey. They even succeeded in bringing the whole group together to sing the hymn of BURSASPOR, the Turkish football champion of 2010.
I really enjoyed spending time together with the whole group (from: Poland, France, Italy, Romania, Turkey and Germany) although there were some language-barriers.
But from my point of view, we had not enough private time with the group of students, because the program was very busy.
We met each other in some restaurants, but every time without the girls. Till today I can't understand why.
There was one point that really irritated me: on the last evening we had dinner together at the hotel where the teachers stayed. It was very nice, with excellent food and excellent furnishings. But where were the Turkish students??? They did not eat together with us. We talked about integration between young people in Europe all the time and then the Turkish group was separated from us. This is not integration!
All in all, I enjoyed the stay in Turkey. It was fantastic to see how real Turkish families live, because I had just known Turkish life from Alanya (in a holiday region). Although there were some problems, we had a nice time together.
At last I wanted to thank my exchange student (Hüseyin Karagöz) and my exchange parents for accomodating me warmly.
With greetings to all Comenius students and teachers,
Markus Baumeister (Germany)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Feedback from French students
Feedback from French students
1/ Quiterie Landèche-1ES3
I had an opportunity to spend one wonderful week in Turkey. Thanks to the Comenius project I met students from Poland, Romania, Germany, Italy and of course Turkey. I am convinced that these meetings are the best way to get to know each other, to discover new cultures and to eliminate sterile stereotypes. For me, Turkey was, for sure, one of the countries I knew the least about. What I did know about Turkey was what is broadcast by the media, what is said by politicians and teachers. I knew that Turkey had problems joining the European Union, I also knew that Turkey had a very rich history with the Ottoman Empire and that, once, Turkey had been the cultural center of the world. This was what I had heard about, so I realized that I actually really knew very little.
After spending six days in Turkey, after visiting Bursa and Istanbul, after meeting Turkish families, Turkish students and teachers I now have a completely different idea. Since coming back to France I keep sharing with others what I discovered in only six days. What I will always remember is the way we were welcomed and hosted. I do not have enough English vocabulary to describe how amazing and how extraordinary Turkish people were. They showed us a different image of Turkey; a country with an impressive culture, a country where dancing and singing is part of every day life, a country where History is in every street, bazaar and mosque… Visiting Bursa with our Turkish hosts was very important for me because they told us their story, a story we had sometimes never heard about. All Turkish people were very kind and friendly toward us, we were received by the Governor and the Mayor and we actually felt important for a few hours! I really want to finish this very short report by saying that these meetings and projects do change mentalities. Thanks to the internet we continue to keep in touch with other students who were in Turkey with us, and the words that we exchange help us understand different cultures than ours and I am sure these relations will last !
I really want to thank each person who contributed to and participated in this project.
‘Immigrants Past and Present - Towards Greater Integration?’ This project was a step in the right direction, towards a change in mentalities. Today I hope that I will be able to go back once to Turkey and I also hope that other students will have the chance to participate in this kind of project.
çok teşekkür ederim
2/ Ines Fresko 1ES3
Thanks to the Comenius project, we had the opportunity to spend six wonderful days in Turkey, that we’ll never forget.
Before going to Turkey, we had worked on the issue of immigration: we met a French ‘pied noir’, an immigrant who moved to mainland France from Algeria in 1961 during the war of independence. We made a film about her story and her integration into French society. This preparation helped us to understand some interesting things about immigration and integration in France, before going to Turkey. Then, after presenting our film and by listening to the other students, I realised that immigration was a very important topic in our society, and that migrants had lots of things to teach us. It opened my mind and made me more tolerant.
I had never been to Turkey before and in my mind, the Muslim religion was very important there. In reality, it wasn’t what I thought: lots of Turkish women don’t wear a veil, Turkish people don’t pray as much as I had imagined …
But finally, I changed my mind : I saw a country which looks like mine in some respects and I discovered a new language, new customs (such as having tea ten times a day… !) : a new culture.
But especially, I discovered Turkish people, and I think I will never forget that. Turkish people are very friendly, they always take care of you, they always smile, they always joke ! We were treated like Very Important People : we were impressed but also very happy to be there and to meet students from the Police College.
That’s why I would thank all the Turkish people for this wonderful week. It was such a fantastic experience, and be sure I will never forget that!
3/ Louison Muller
I was very happy to spend one week with you in Turkey. This comenius project was a great success. It was very pleasant to present our movie and our project to all the other students from all the other European countries. During the Comenius project we had learned a lot of things about immigration and integration. We also discovered Turkey which is a fabulous country.
For me Turkey was a new country I had never visited it before. Before visiting this country I thought Turkey was a country where the religion was very important and that Turks were more radical on this issue, especially on the womens’ rights issue. Thanks to this project visit I have changed my mind, I see Turkey as a very modern country where some cities look like some Western European cities.
I was very impressed by the way Turkish people welcomed us; they really are very friendly and kind. Thanks to them we had the opportunity to visit amazing places and to understand a different but a wonderful culture. Students of “Polis Koleji” were extraordinary and they hosted us in a way I had never experienced before. I will always remember the show they prepared; I just loved their performances. This evening was awesome!
The meetings with students from different countries helped me to improve my English, it made me realize some things about immigration and integration.
I’d like to thank everyone for everything! I spent amazing moments in Turkey!
-
1/ Quiterie Landèche-1ES3
I had an opportunity to spend one wonderful week in Turkey. Thanks to the Comenius project I met students from Poland, Romania, Germany, Italy and of course Turkey. I am convinced that these meetings are the best way to get to know each other, to discover new cultures and to eliminate sterile stereotypes. For me, Turkey was, for sure, one of the countries I knew the least about. What I did know about Turkey was what is broadcast by the media, what is said by politicians and teachers. I knew that Turkey had problems joining the European Union, I also knew that Turkey had a very rich history with the Ottoman Empire and that, once, Turkey had been the cultural center of the world. This was what I had heard about, so I realized that I actually really knew very little.
After spending six days in Turkey, after visiting Bursa and Istanbul, after meeting Turkish families, Turkish students and teachers I now have a completely different idea. Since coming back to France I keep sharing with others what I discovered in only six days. What I will always remember is the way we were welcomed and hosted. I do not have enough English vocabulary to describe how amazing and how extraordinary Turkish people were. They showed us a different image of Turkey; a country with an impressive culture, a country where dancing and singing is part of every day life, a country where History is in every street, bazaar and mosque… Visiting Bursa with our Turkish hosts was very important for me because they told us their story, a story we had sometimes never heard about. All Turkish people were very kind and friendly toward us, we were received by the Governor and the Mayor and we actually felt important for a few hours! I really want to finish this very short report by saying that these meetings and projects do change mentalities. Thanks to the internet we continue to keep in touch with other students who were in Turkey with us, and the words that we exchange help us understand different cultures than ours and I am sure these relations will last !
I really want to thank each person who contributed to and participated in this project.
‘Immigrants Past and Present - Towards Greater Integration?’ This project was a step in the right direction, towards a change in mentalities. Today I hope that I will be able to go back once to Turkey and I also hope that other students will have the chance to participate in this kind of project.
çok teşekkür ederim
2/ Ines Fresko 1ES3
Thanks to the Comenius project, we had the opportunity to spend six wonderful days in Turkey, that we’ll never forget.
Before going to Turkey, we had worked on the issue of immigration: we met a French ‘pied noir’, an immigrant who moved to mainland France from Algeria in 1961 during the war of independence. We made a film about her story and her integration into French society. This preparation helped us to understand some interesting things about immigration and integration in France, before going to Turkey. Then, after presenting our film and by listening to the other students, I realised that immigration was a very important topic in our society, and that migrants had lots of things to teach us. It opened my mind and made me more tolerant.
I had never been to Turkey before and in my mind, the Muslim religion was very important there. In reality, it wasn’t what I thought: lots of Turkish women don’t wear a veil, Turkish people don’t pray as much as I had imagined …
But finally, I changed my mind : I saw a country which looks like mine in some respects and I discovered a new language, new customs (such as having tea ten times a day… !) : a new culture.
But especially, I discovered Turkish people, and I think I will never forget that. Turkish people are very friendly, they always take care of you, they always smile, they always joke ! We were treated like Very Important People : we were impressed but also very happy to be there and to meet students from the Police College.
That’s why I would thank all the Turkish people for this wonderful week. It was such a fantastic experience, and be sure I will never forget that!
3/ Louison Muller
I was very happy to spend one week with you in Turkey. This comenius project was a great success. It was very pleasant to present our movie and our project to all the other students from all the other European countries. During the Comenius project we had learned a lot of things about immigration and integration. We also discovered Turkey which is a fabulous country.
For me Turkey was a new country I had never visited it before. Before visiting this country I thought Turkey was a country where the religion was very important and that Turks were more radical on this issue, especially on the womens’ rights issue. Thanks to this project visit I have changed my mind, I see Turkey as a very modern country where some cities look like some Western European cities.
I was very impressed by the way Turkish people welcomed us; they really are very friendly and kind. Thanks to them we had the opportunity to visit amazing places and to understand a different but a wonderful culture. Students of “Polis Koleji” were extraordinary and they hosted us in a way I had never experienced before. I will always remember the show they prepared; I just loved their performances. This evening was awesome!
The meetings with students from different countries helped me to improve my English, it made me realize some things about immigration and integration.
I’d like to thank everyone for everything! I spent amazing moments in Turkey!
-
The Fourth Project Meeting in Bursa
The fourth project meeting took place in Turkey and was hosted by the Polis Koleji in Bursa
Participants
The Romanian team (Mariana Hudrea and Florian Nechit plus their pupils) arrived on Monday 24 May followed by the remaining teams the following day;
Alasdair Watts and Isabelle Roy from France, Wolfgang Mertens , Till Winkler and Rolf Albrecht from Germany, Monica Meneghelli and Patrizia Tommasi from Italy, Jola Prodanowska and Dorata Boryczko from Poland. Altogether 15 foreign pupils attended the project meeting from these five countries.
Accommodation
All staff were accommodated at the Bursa Kent Hotel in the centre of Bursa and pupils by host families. Teachers all expressed satisfaction regarding the choice of the hotel which was ideally situated in the heart of Bursa and offered an unrivalled view of the City. Staff had very positive feedback from pupils concerning host families.
Wednesday
The official meeting began on Wednesday 26 May. We were first received by the Governor who greeted us warmly in the Governor’s Palace on behalf of the regional authorities. The Governor stressed the importance Turkey in general and Bursa in particular attaches to such European projects as ours. After the reception the group visited the Bursa Kent Museum and was introduced to the local Bursa history, architecture, economy and civil society. We then made our way to the Town Hall where the Mayor of Bursa received us in his office. The Mayor provided us with invaluable information about the city, notably its rapid expansion, the growing importance of manufacturing industry etc. A sign of this confidence is Bursaspor’s recent winning of the Turkish football championship in which the Mayor expressed his pride.
In the afternoon students made their presentations on the theme of immigration in the premises formally serving as a Haman or Turkish bath and now used as a cultural centre.
(short summaries of the presentations can be found in the annex)
The day’s activities concluded with a Classical Music Concert at Tayyare Kultur Merkezi in the centre of Bursa.
Thursday
We spent Thursday morning at the Bursa Polis Koleji, initially in the lecture theatre where the school director made an opening address to welcome us to his school, outlining the school’s ethos, aims and ambitions. This was followed by a round table discussion similar to those we have held at each of our four project meetings. Ethnic Turks from Greece and Bulgaria as well as an Italian immigrant from Turin related their experience of leaving their country of birth to settle in Turkey. Students and teachers had an opportunity to dialogue with them.
We were then divided into groups and some teachers and students were taken to the school’s shooting range in the basement to practice their shooting skills while others took part in English classes.
In the afternoon we were taken to the Karagöz Museum to enjoy the traditional Turkish shadow puppet theatre involving the two characters Hacivat and Karagöz. The resident puppeteer is responsible for all aspects of production, including the creation and design of the puppets themselves, the writing of the scenario as well as the manipulation of the puppets and the different voices.
We moved on to visit the 600 year-old Historical Plane Tree in the picturesque village of Inkaya and the day’s cultural activities concluded with an impressive performance of rock music, dance and traditional Turkish music given by the students of the Bursa Polis Koleji in the school lecture theatre to rapturous applause.
Friday
We made an early start on Friday and were driven to Cumalikizik Village in the Yıldırım sub-province where, after a copious Turkish breakfast, we were able to examine the perfectly preserved characteristics of Ottoman architecture.
We then returned to the Bursa Polis Koleji where students were placed in mixed nationality groups, this time with the task of producing and presenting in mixed groups posters promoting the underlying message of tolerance and anti-racism that has been prevalent throughout the two years of our project.
After lunch students and teachers were divided into two groups and taken to the headquarters of two NGOs in charge of assisting ethnic Turks returning to their homeland as well dealing with problems of discrimination faced by ethnic Turks living abroad.
Back in the centre of Bursa we were offered a Sema or Whirling Dervish Show in which dancers dressed in flowing white robes whirled around for forty minutes accompanied by prayers and holy music amazingly without showing the slightest signs of dizziness.
In the evening all participants attended a dinner at the Bursa Kent Hotel. The director of the Bursa Polis Koleji honored us with his presence and gave a final speech thanking us for participating on the project and hoping future collaboration would be possible in the years to come. The local press published various articles on this Comenius project and even the Turkish TV broadcast parts of the fourth meeting.
Saturday
On Saturday we returned to Istanbul, crossing the Sea of Marmara this time by the express ferry from Mudanya. Students and teachers were delighted to discover on arriving in Istanbul a police escort awaiting us to accompany us to the Istanbul police restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus where we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before setting off to discover the beauty of Istanbul (the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Tagpapi Palace as well as a memorable boat trip on the Bosphorus).
Teams returned home on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May.
A word of thanks
All colleagues and students expressed their delight at all aspects of this fourth and final project meeting. Our Turkish hosts offered us wonderful hospitality and were constantly concerned that all our needs were attended to. The programme was rich, varied and very professionally organized.
Alasdair Watts
Project Coordinator
Annex
1/ The German Presentaion
Many topics related to immigration and integration are frequently covered by the German press. One are the so-called “honour killings“, a term that is used when a family drama occurs in an immigrant family. It enhances people’s fears of immigrants, just as the topic of fundamentalism among immigrants, such as the Turkish neo-fascist movement of the “Grey Wolves“.
However, the media more and more also cover topics that evoke positive feelings with regard to immigrants, for example successful integration projects. One of them is the “mentor project“ supported by the German government. Committed citizens help individuals with a migration background, especially students with school problems. Another example is the “Ernst-Reuter-Initiative“ which supports German-Turkish cooperation.
On the local level, the city of Seelze has, just like other communities, developed various programs that provide help for immigrants. The local newspapers cover these efforts continuously.
2/ The French Presentation
The four French students first showed a film they had made entitled ‘I’ve had Three Lives’. It features a ‘pied noir’ or white French Algerian called Denise Vabre who was forced to leave Algeria after it gained independence in 1962. She expresses the love she feels for the land where she grew up and the difficulty she experienced adapting to life in mainland France.
The second presentation was called ‘We work, we strike’ and dealt with the protest movement in March 2010 which saw immigrant workers in France and across Europe down tools to raise awareness of the discrimination they face
3/ The Italian Presentation
Islam and Western culture meet together through immigration. Is the integration a problem or a phenomenon In Italy?
Our presentation is a synthesis of our work of analysis and discussion about newspaper articles and interviews which reflect different Italian points of view on this topic. In this period the debate in the Italian media about the difficulties and positive aspects of immigration and possible integration between people of a different culture and religion is open and vivacious. In our classes of “responsible and active citizenship” we made deeper our research interviewing people who know and live personally integration among people of different religions. A theology and philosophy teacher, a Catholic priest who worked for a long of time with immigrants, a Turkish lady living in Italy. The point of strength of the project is the comparison and synthesis concerning the situations in the six different countries involved in this project .
4/ The Turkish Presentation
As the hosting school of the final meeting the Turkish team decided to reflect on the theme of immigration in two ways. The first one consisted of Interviews and presentations of the immigrants (Ethnic Turks from Greece and Bulgaria as well as an Italian living in Bursa) and visits to NGOs connected to Immigrants.
We also thought it would be worthwhile to give inclusive information about the immigration from Turkey to European countries. Germany was the leading country with Turkish immigrants so we studied on “Immigration of Turkish citizens to Germany” with three subtitles “Guest workers, Family Unifications and Incentives for Returns”.
5/ The Polish Presentation
The first presentation made by Polish students was a film about one of the largest groups of immigrants in Poland – the Vietnamese. They come for many reasons, but particularly economic ones. The journey is very expensive, costing about 4000 dollars and is organized by special agencies operating in Vietnam. The film outlines the difficulties some face integrating into Polish society but it also shows that there are many success stories.
The second deals with the story of a woman called Swietlana, who came to Poland from The Ukraine in 1995 to earn a living after the Ukrainian factory where she worked started to pay its employees in kind (cloth instead of money). Shortly after settling in Poland she discovered she had terminal cancer. The film focuses on her quest for a foster family in Poland to avoid her four children being sent back to Ukraine after her death.
6/ The Romanian Presentation
700 Years of Turkish-Romanian Relationships
At the end of the 14th century the borders of the Ottoman Empire reached the Danube River
The relations with the Romanian Principalities were often tense till 1877 when Romania became independent.
Many Turks remained to live in the south and south east of the country.
Today the majority of the Turks live in the historical region of Northern Dobruja (Turkish: Dobruca), particularly in Constanţa County, where they number 24,246 and make up 3.4% of the population, in Tulcea County : 3,334 (1.3%), in Bucharest : 2,473 (0.1%).
As an officially-recognized ethnic minority, the Turks have one seat reserved for them in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.
After 1989, a significant number of Turkish entrepreneurs started investing and establishing business ventures in Romania, and a certain proportion chose to take up residence in Romania.
At the same time many Turks living in Romania immigrated to Turkey to live with their relatives there.
Participants
The Romanian team (Mariana Hudrea and Florian Nechit plus their pupils) arrived on Monday 24 May followed by the remaining teams the following day;
Alasdair Watts and Isabelle Roy from France, Wolfgang Mertens , Till Winkler and Rolf Albrecht from Germany, Monica Meneghelli and Patrizia Tommasi from Italy, Jola Prodanowska and Dorata Boryczko from Poland. Altogether 15 foreign pupils attended the project meeting from these five countries.
Accommodation
All staff were accommodated at the Bursa Kent Hotel in the centre of Bursa and pupils by host families. Teachers all expressed satisfaction regarding the choice of the hotel which was ideally situated in the heart of Bursa and offered an unrivalled view of the City. Staff had very positive feedback from pupils concerning host families.
Wednesday
The official meeting began on Wednesday 26 May. We were first received by the Governor who greeted us warmly in the Governor’s Palace on behalf of the regional authorities. The Governor stressed the importance Turkey in general and Bursa in particular attaches to such European projects as ours. After the reception the group visited the Bursa Kent Museum and was introduced to the local Bursa history, architecture, economy and civil society. We then made our way to the Town Hall where the Mayor of Bursa received us in his office. The Mayor provided us with invaluable information about the city, notably its rapid expansion, the growing importance of manufacturing industry etc. A sign of this confidence is Bursaspor’s recent winning of the Turkish football championship in which the Mayor expressed his pride.
In the afternoon students made their presentations on the theme of immigration in the premises formally serving as a Haman or Turkish bath and now used as a cultural centre.
(short summaries of the presentations can be found in the annex)
The day’s activities concluded with a Classical Music Concert at Tayyare Kultur Merkezi in the centre of Bursa.
Thursday
We spent Thursday morning at the Bursa Polis Koleji, initially in the lecture theatre where the school director made an opening address to welcome us to his school, outlining the school’s ethos, aims and ambitions. This was followed by a round table discussion similar to those we have held at each of our four project meetings. Ethnic Turks from Greece and Bulgaria as well as an Italian immigrant from Turin related their experience of leaving their country of birth to settle in Turkey. Students and teachers had an opportunity to dialogue with them.
We were then divided into groups and some teachers and students were taken to the school’s shooting range in the basement to practice their shooting skills while others took part in English classes.
In the afternoon we were taken to the Karagöz Museum to enjoy the traditional Turkish shadow puppet theatre involving the two characters Hacivat and Karagöz. The resident puppeteer is responsible for all aspects of production, including the creation and design of the puppets themselves, the writing of the scenario as well as the manipulation of the puppets and the different voices.
We moved on to visit the 600 year-old Historical Plane Tree in the picturesque village of Inkaya and the day’s cultural activities concluded with an impressive performance of rock music, dance and traditional Turkish music given by the students of the Bursa Polis Koleji in the school lecture theatre to rapturous applause.
Friday
We made an early start on Friday and were driven to Cumalikizik Village in the Yıldırım sub-province where, after a copious Turkish breakfast, we were able to examine the perfectly preserved characteristics of Ottoman architecture.
We then returned to the Bursa Polis Koleji where students were placed in mixed nationality groups, this time with the task of producing and presenting in mixed groups posters promoting the underlying message of tolerance and anti-racism that has been prevalent throughout the two years of our project.
After lunch students and teachers were divided into two groups and taken to the headquarters of two NGOs in charge of assisting ethnic Turks returning to their homeland as well dealing with problems of discrimination faced by ethnic Turks living abroad.
Back in the centre of Bursa we were offered a Sema or Whirling Dervish Show in which dancers dressed in flowing white robes whirled around for forty minutes accompanied by prayers and holy music amazingly without showing the slightest signs of dizziness.
In the evening all participants attended a dinner at the Bursa Kent Hotel. The director of the Bursa Polis Koleji honored us with his presence and gave a final speech thanking us for participating on the project and hoping future collaboration would be possible in the years to come. The local press published various articles on this Comenius project and even the Turkish TV broadcast parts of the fourth meeting.
Saturday
On Saturday we returned to Istanbul, crossing the Sea of Marmara this time by the express ferry from Mudanya. Students and teachers were delighted to discover on arriving in Istanbul a police escort awaiting us to accompany us to the Istanbul police restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus where we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before setting off to discover the beauty of Istanbul (the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Tagpapi Palace as well as a memorable boat trip on the Bosphorus).
Teams returned home on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May.
A word of thanks
All colleagues and students expressed their delight at all aspects of this fourth and final project meeting. Our Turkish hosts offered us wonderful hospitality and were constantly concerned that all our needs were attended to. The programme was rich, varied and very professionally organized.
Alasdair Watts
Project Coordinator
Annex
1/ The German Presentaion
Many topics related to immigration and integration are frequently covered by the German press. One are the so-called “honour killings“, a term that is used when a family drama occurs in an immigrant family. It enhances people’s fears of immigrants, just as the topic of fundamentalism among immigrants, such as the Turkish neo-fascist movement of the “Grey Wolves“.
However, the media more and more also cover topics that evoke positive feelings with regard to immigrants, for example successful integration projects. One of them is the “mentor project“ supported by the German government. Committed citizens help individuals with a migration background, especially students with school problems. Another example is the “Ernst-Reuter-Initiative“ which supports German-Turkish cooperation.
On the local level, the city of Seelze has, just like other communities, developed various programs that provide help for immigrants. The local newspapers cover these efforts continuously.
2/ The French Presentation
The four French students first showed a film they had made entitled ‘I’ve had Three Lives’. It features a ‘pied noir’ or white French Algerian called Denise Vabre who was forced to leave Algeria after it gained independence in 1962. She expresses the love she feels for the land where she grew up and the difficulty she experienced adapting to life in mainland France.
The second presentation was called ‘We work, we strike’ and dealt with the protest movement in March 2010 which saw immigrant workers in France and across Europe down tools to raise awareness of the discrimination they face
3/ The Italian Presentation
Islam and Western culture meet together through immigration. Is the integration a problem or a phenomenon In Italy?
Our presentation is a synthesis of our work of analysis and discussion about newspaper articles and interviews which reflect different Italian points of view on this topic. In this period the debate in the Italian media about the difficulties and positive aspects of immigration and possible integration between people of a different culture and religion is open and vivacious. In our classes of “responsible and active citizenship” we made deeper our research interviewing people who know and live personally integration among people of different religions. A theology and philosophy teacher, a Catholic priest who worked for a long of time with immigrants, a Turkish lady living in Italy. The point of strength of the project is the comparison and synthesis concerning the situations in the six different countries involved in this project .
4/ The Turkish Presentation
As the hosting school of the final meeting the Turkish team decided to reflect on the theme of immigration in two ways. The first one consisted of Interviews and presentations of the immigrants (Ethnic Turks from Greece and Bulgaria as well as an Italian living in Bursa) and visits to NGOs connected to Immigrants.
We also thought it would be worthwhile to give inclusive information about the immigration from Turkey to European countries. Germany was the leading country with Turkish immigrants so we studied on “Immigration of Turkish citizens to Germany” with three subtitles “Guest workers, Family Unifications and Incentives for Returns”.
5/ The Polish Presentation
The first presentation made by Polish students was a film about one of the largest groups of immigrants in Poland – the Vietnamese. They come for many reasons, but particularly economic ones. The journey is very expensive, costing about 4000 dollars and is organized by special agencies operating in Vietnam. The film outlines the difficulties some face integrating into Polish society but it also shows that there are many success stories.
The second deals with the story of a woman called Swietlana, who came to Poland from The Ukraine in 1995 to earn a living after the Ukrainian factory where she worked started to pay its employees in kind (cloth instead of money). Shortly after settling in Poland she discovered she had terminal cancer. The film focuses on her quest for a foster family in Poland to avoid her four children being sent back to Ukraine after her death.
6/ The Romanian Presentation
700 Years of Turkish-Romanian Relationships
At the end of the 14th century the borders of the Ottoman Empire reached the Danube River
The relations with the Romanian Principalities were often tense till 1877 when Romania became independent.
Many Turks remained to live in the south and south east of the country.
Today the majority of the Turks live in the historical region of Northern Dobruja (Turkish: Dobruca), particularly in Constanţa County, where they number 24,246 and make up 3.4% of the population, in Tulcea County : 3,334 (1.3%), in Bucharest : 2,473 (0.1%).
As an officially-recognized ethnic minority, the Turks have one seat reserved for them in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.
After 1989, a significant number of Turkish entrepreneurs started investing and establishing business ventures in Romania, and a certain proportion chose to take up residence in Romania.
At the same time many Turks living in Romania immigrated to Turkey to live with their relatives there.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Feedbacks from Poland
Dear Turkish friends,
my journey to Turkey was the best experience in my life. I did not expect Turkey to be such a beautiful country. The programme of our project meeting was simply perfectly prepared, all the meetings, trips, special activities so relevant to the topic of our project . Thanks to you I have seen a lot of interesting places and monuments, I could participate in so many wonderful activities which I will always remember. I learnt so much about Turkish people, their system of education and their culture. I could meet a lot of wonderful people, so warm , caring ,friendly and hospitable. I learnt a lot during the meeting and I hope that our friendship will last for ever.
Thank you for everything.
Joanna J. Poland.
Dear Turkish Friends,
At the begining I would like to thank you all for hosting us with such warmth and hospitality.
If I had to choose the thing I liked most I'd choose You - Turkish people because I was very nicely suprised by your hospitality and the way you treated us - like your family :). Apart from all activities prepared for our project meeting which we enjoyed so much, I also liked sightseeing - I've seen a lot of interesting things which I'll never forget, for example beautiful mosques, exotic cities of Bursa and Istanbul so different from the ones I've already been to. I would like to mention that I really loved the family who hosted me . They were such warm and friendly people that I really miss them now. We appreciate so much all your effort you put to make us feel so good in Turkey that it is difficult to find words to describe how much we loved the project meeting, all people whom we had an opportunity to meet and everything you prepared for us .
At the end I'd like to send greetings to all of you my Turkish firends and I hope we'll meet again soon :)
Jakub P. Poland
my journey to Turkey was the best experience in my life. I did not expect Turkey to be such a beautiful country. The programme of our project meeting was simply perfectly prepared, all the meetings, trips, special activities so relevant to the topic of our project . Thanks to you I have seen a lot of interesting places and monuments, I could participate in so many wonderful activities which I will always remember. I learnt so much about Turkish people, their system of education and their culture. I could meet a lot of wonderful people, so warm , caring ,friendly and hospitable. I learnt a lot during the meeting and I hope that our friendship will last for ever.
Thank you for everything.
Joanna J. Poland.
Dear Turkish Friends,
At the begining I would like to thank you all for hosting us with such warmth and hospitality.
If I had to choose the thing I liked most I'd choose You - Turkish people because I was very nicely suprised by your hospitality and the way you treated us - like your family :). Apart from all activities prepared for our project meeting which we enjoyed so much, I also liked sightseeing - I've seen a lot of interesting things which I'll never forget, for example beautiful mosques, exotic cities of Bursa and Istanbul so different from the ones I've already been to. I would like to mention that I really loved the family who hosted me . They were such warm and friendly people that I really miss them now. We appreciate so much all your effort you put to make us feel so good in Turkey that it is difficult to find words to describe how much we loved the project meeting, all people whom we had an opportunity to meet and everything you prepared for us .
At the end I'd like to send greetings to all of you my Turkish firends and I hope we'll meet again soon :)
Jakub P. Poland
Friday, June 4, 2010
Why Reading?
A little boy was standing on the pavement, reading a history book about one of the last Sultans.
He was waiting to guide us to a very special place. The puppets' show.
To see a boy patiently reading on the street was amazing for me.
Later I met his father who confessed the boy had to read three books a week if he wanted his pocket money.
Imagine: 3 books/week, 12 books /month....
Education is a major preoccupation for the Turkish parents. The fact that the boy got pocket money to read is immaterial to me.
The fact that he reads hundreds of books is a proof that that boy will be able to find his right way in life.
I am no longer surprised why our Turkish hosts know how to behave themselves, how to be so nice with their guests.
And their country does not look like a country facing an economic crises. On the contrary, it looks like a modern country inhabited by diligent people who know what is good for them. A country with smiling faces and warm hearts.
Meeting the Governor
Dear Friends,
Your comments on our meeting in Bursa made all of us so happy, thank you very much for your sincere feelings...
But it is not only our students who miss you all :) I and my friends talk everyday about you and the wonderful time sharing with you ...
It was a pleasure for us to organize this meeting in Bursa, and we would love to see you again :)) (as soon as possible) :)
Here, on this link you will find the TV interview which was recorded at the Governorship of Bursa.
http://www.olay.com.tr/Sayfa.php?Git=Videolar&Sayfa=Oku&id=1089
I and my friends greet all of you as we say in Turkey " kucak dolusu selamlar" :)))
And what about your Turkish ? Does everybody keep on studying Turkish ??? :))))
Your comments on our meeting in Bursa made all of us so happy, thank you very much for your sincere feelings...
But it is not only our students who miss you all :) I and my friends talk everyday about you and the wonderful time sharing with you ...
It was a pleasure for us to organize this meeting in Bursa, and we would love to see you again :)) (as soon as possible) :)
Here, on this link you will find the TV interview which was recorded at the Governorship of Bursa.
http://www.olay.com.tr/Sayfa.php?Git=Videolar&Sayfa=Oku&id=1089
I and my friends greet all of you as we say in Turkey " kucak dolusu selamlar" :)))
And what about your Turkish ? Does everybody keep on studying Turkish ??? :))))
Huseyin Ozturk
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Our Project Meeting in Bursa
Even before going to Bursa I knew that our last project meeting would be a very successful one.
Two years before I had the privilege to be the guest of Ozel Uftade Liceci from Usak.
Both our colleagues from Usak and from Bursa proved to be very hospitable.
Their hospitality is total and it starts from the souls of a very warm and nice people who are capable to make you feel among real friends.
This project managed to gather together 6 teams from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and Turkey. Along these two years of the project we cooperated very well and managed to develop a project useful not only for students and teachers but for the local communities, too.
The spirit of friendship and tolerance was present all the time.
The climax was however in Turkey where we all discovered it was our last meeting and we had to do something about continuing to work together.
I have been all over Europe in the last 10 years.I cannot say that a meeting was better than another. All meetings and all host teams did their best to make us feel great in their countries.
I want to thank all my partners for their effort not only to achieve the tasks of the projects but also for offering us the joy of discovery of new cultures and of wonderful European peoples.
700 Years of Turkish-Romanian Relationships
Historical Context
In 105-106 Dacia, which was on the present day territory of Romania, was conquered by the Romans led by Emperor Traianus.
The Romanian people was formed up to 1859 when we can speak of Romania as a state, when Moldavia and Wallachia united.
The ancestors of the Romanians are the Dacians and the Romans to which were added all the peoples that crossed its land.
Short history of Romanian-Turkish relations
At the end of the 14th century the borders of the Ottoman Empire reached the Danube River
The first diplomatic relations date back to that time, consisting in sending messengers to the High Court.
During the 16th century there emerged the tradition of representing the Romanian noblemen at the Ottoman High Court through agents named “capuchehaia”
The relations were interrupted in the year 1877 in the context of the Russian-Turkish war, to be resumed in November 1878 at legation level and in 1938 at embassy level.
Romanian-Turkish Relations Today
Since 1989, relations have been evolving continuously.
Turkey has invested in the fields of banking, insurance, food industry, textile industry and tourism.
Romanian consulates were opened in Istanbul and Izmir
7 visits of the Turkish president were organized in Romania and 8 of the Romanian presidents in Turkey.
There is collaboration in the field of culture and education as well.
There have also been many projects and programs done together.
18 minorities live in Romania today
Hungarians (incl. Szeklers) 1,431,807 6.6% Transylvania, Bucharest
Roma( Gypsies) 535,140 2.46%
Ukrainians 61,091 0.28% Bukovina, Maramureş
Transylvanian Saxons, Swabians 59,764 0.28% Sibiu, Braşov, Bistriţa, Timiş, Caraş Severin
Russians/Lipovans 35,791 0.17% Tulcea County
Turks 32,098 0.15% Dobrogea
Crimean Tatars 23,935 0.11% Dobrogea
Serbs 22,518 0.10% Timiş, Arad, Caraş-Severin, Mehedinţi
Slovaks 17,199 0.08%
Bulgarians, Croats,Greeks, Jews, Czechs, Poles, Italians, Chinese
Total: 2,276,138 = 10.5% of Romania's population
The Turks of Romania
As the entire Balkan Peninsula became an integral part of the emerging Ottoman Empire (a process which concluded with the fall of Constantinople to Sultan Mehmed II in 1453), Wallachia became engaged in frequent confrontations and, in the final years of Mircea the Elder's reign, became an Ottoman subject.
Mediaeval Times
Iancu Corvin of Hunedoara, the governor of Hungary and Voivode of Transylvania( the battle from Belgrad 1456 succeeded to stop Mahomed the 2nd's army)
The anti-ottoman fight was continued under:
Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia,1456-1462; 1476
Stephen the Great, Prince of Moldavia (1457-1504)
Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, 1593-1601
Constantin Brâncoveanu, Prince of Wallachia, 1688-1714
Dimitrie Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia, 1710-1711
Who was DIMITRIE CANTEMIR?
(1673-1723)
His education began in Moldavia , where he learned Greek and Latin and acquired a profound knowledge of the classics. Between 1687 and 1710 he lived in forced exile in Istanbul, where he learned Turkish and studied the history of the Ottoman Empire at the Patriarchate's Greek Academy, where he also composed music.
Modern Times
The majority of Turks live in the historical region of Northern Dobruja (Turkish: Dobruca), particularly in Constanţa County, where they number 24,246 and make up 3.4% of the population
in Tulcea County : 3,334 (1.3%)
in Bucharest : 2,473 (0.1%).
As an officially-recognised ethnic minority, the Turks have one seat reserved for them in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.
After 1989, a significant number of Turkish entrepreneurs started investing and establishing business ventures in Romania, and a certain proportion chose to take up residence in Romania.
Because of the large Turkish population, Islam in Romania also has a historically significant Muslim minority concentrated in Dobrogea, who are mostly of Turkish and Tatar ethnicity.
An important Turkish community also used to live until 1970 on the island of Ada Kaleh.
Islam in Romania is followed by only 0.3 percent of population, but has 700 years of tradition in Northern Dobruja, a region on the Black Sea coast which was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost five centuries (ca. 1420-1878).
In present-day Romania, most adherents to Islam belong to the Tatar and Turkish ethnic communities and follow the Sunni doctrine. The Islamic religion is one of the 16 rites awarded state recognition.
Bibliography: http://en.wikipedia.org/
Ovidiu Craciun
Patrick Bohony
In 105-106 Dacia, which was on the present day territory of Romania, was conquered by the Romans led by Emperor Traianus.
The Romanian people was formed up to 1859 when we can speak of Romania as a state, when Moldavia and Wallachia united.
The ancestors of the Romanians are the Dacians and the Romans to which were added all the peoples that crossed its land.
Short history of Romanian-Turkish relations
At the end of the 14th century the borders of the Ottoman Empire reached the Danube River
The first diplomatic relations date back to that time, consisting in sending messengers to the High Court.
During the 16th century there emerged the tradition of representing the Romanian noblemen at the Ottoman High Court through agents named “capuchehaia”
The relations were interrupted in the year 1877 in the context of the Russian-Turkish war, to be resumed in November 1878 at legation level and in 1938 at embassy level.
Romanian-Turkish Relations Today
Since 1989, relations have been evolving continuously.
Turkey has invested in the fields of banking, insurance, food industry, textile industry and tourism.
Romanian consulates were opened in Istanbul and Izmir
7 visits of the Turkish president were organized in Romania and 8 of the Romanian presidents in Turkey.
There is collaboration in the field of culture and education as well.
There have also been many projects and programs done together.
18 minorities live in Romania today
Hungarians (incl. Szeklers) 1,431,807 6.6% Transylvania, Bucharest
Roma( Gypsies) 535,140 2.46%
Ukrainians 61,091 0.28% Bukovina, Maramureş
Transylvanian Saxons, Swabians 59,764 0.28% Sibiu, Braşov, Bistriţa, Timiş, Caraş Severin
Russians/Lipovans 35,791 0.17% Tulcea County
Turks 32,098 0.15% Dobrogea
Crimean Tatars 23,935 0.11% Dobrogea
Serbs 22,518 0.10% Timiş, Arad, Caraş-Severin, Mehedinţi
Slovaks 17,199 0.08%
Bulgarians, Croats,Greeks, Jews, Czechs, Poles, Italians, Chinese
Total: 2,276,138 = 10.5% of Romania's population
The Turks of Romania
As the entire Balkan Peninsula became an integral part of the emerging Ottoman Empire (a process which concluded with the fall of Constantinople to Sultan Mehmed II in 1453), Wallachia became engaged in frequent confrontations and, in the final years of Mircea the Elder's reign, became an Ottoman subject.
Mediaeval Times
Iancu Corvin of Hunedoara, the governor of Hungary and Voivode of Transylvania( the battle from Belgrad 1456 succeeded to stop Mahomed the 2nd's army)
The anti-ottoman fight was continued under:
Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia,1456-1462; 1476
Stephen the Great, Prince of Moldavia (1457-1504)
Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, 1593-1601
Constantin Brâncoveanu, Prince of Wallachia, 1688-1714
Dimitrie Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia, 1710-1711
Who was DIMITRIE CANTEMIR?
(1673-1723)
His education began in Moldavia , where he learned Greek and Latin and acquired a profound knowledge of the classics. Between 1687 and 1710 he lived in forced exile in Istanbul, where he learned Turkish and studied the history of the Ottoman Empire at the Patriarchate's Greek Academy, where he also composed music.
Modern Times
The majority of Turks live in the historical region of Northern Dobruja (Turkish: Dobruca), particularly in Constanţa County, where they number 24,246 and make up 3.4% of the population
in Tulcea County : 3,334 (1.3%)
in Bucharest : 2,473 (0.1%).
As an officially-recognised ethnic minority, the Turks have one seat reserved for them in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.
After 1989, a significant number of Turkish entrepreneurs started investing and establishing business ventures in Romania, and a certain proportion chose to take up residence in Romania.
Because of the large Turkish population, Islam in Romania also has a historically significant Muslim minority concentrated in Dobrogea, who are mostly of Turkish and Tatar ethnicity.
An important Turkish community also used to live until 1970 on the island of Ada Kaleh.
Islam in Romania is followed by only 0.3 percent of population, but has 700 years of tradition in Northern Dobruja, a region on the Black Sea coast which was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost five centuries (ca. 1420-1878).
In present-day Romania, most adherents to Islam belong to the Tatar and Turkish ethnic communities and follow the Sunni doctrine. The Islamic religion is one of the 16 rites awarded state recognition.
Bibliography: http://en.wikipedia.org/
Ovidiu Craciun
Patrick Bohony
The Impact of Immigration upon Religion
The impact of immigration on religion in the context of globalization
Everyone realizes that contemporary society is in a permanent state of renewal and transformation.
The phenomenon of globalization was discussed over and over in the past few decades, even though thoughts on it can differ from one another. Some see it as something the world should welcome it with open arms while others deem it harmful for their society and culture as a whole, regarding it with fear and distrust.
The root of this fear is planted deep within the soil of interaction. With the clash of so many different cultures, religions, perspectives and views there is a permanent risk of conflicting ideas.
Freedom of speech and expression of one’s own rites and rituals can lead to dire consequences, since religion is a more delicate matter than politics for example (greater fervor being involved in the matter).
In Romania there are few cases of immigrants that decide to settle down. It’s more like a transitory country for them, a “gateway to Western Europe” as it was often referred to along time.
Romanians or any orthodox Christian for that matter hasn’t had many problems outside the country thanks to capable religious administrations and government, they being given places of worship for temporary or permanent use.
In Romania the ethnical mix and that of religious groups is quite big (even more so in the south-eastern part of the country) but no serious conflicts have come to pass. Faith in a higher power is definitely something that brings religious people together and helps toward a better coexistence, but as much as it is a uniting link, the many differences in rite is the thing that sets everyone apart.
Every religious man is taught that their way is the right and as such, each tries to convert the other to their own religion, the problem of conversion is again a very delicate one (like not letting one openly practice their religion, as mentioned before) since many are not willing to convert and the reactions can be even violent, feeling offended.
Europe is divided into 3 main religious groups: the Catholics, the Protestants and the Orthodox, with many neo-protestant groups and sects trying to gain new members, with the adding of religions brought by immigrants, some consider it already too much and are suspicious that the new religions might want to spread more than “allowed” by certain countries.( Switzerland is such an example, banning outright the immigration of Turks into their country). One’s religion should be treated with respect and as God (or Allah) gave us free will we can choose if we wish to embrace a new religion if offered or politely refuse. The philosopher Platon affirms that “there is only one truth” and until this one truth is unearthed. We might as well respect each other’s faith and not look down upon them, even if we might consider them misled. If religion teaches us some things, then those should be at least PATIENCE and TOLERANCE.
As for the states regarding foreign religions as dangerous, their fears are bred by misconception and misinformation, even exaggerated stereotypes. A better understanding of these “foreign” religions is the solution to the anxiety looming over us.
Only when we have a better understanding of each other will we make steps towards a better integration.
Priest and teacher Nechita Florian
Article translated by Patrick Bohony
Everyone realizes that contemporary society is in a permanent state of renewal and transformation.
The phenomenon of globalization was discussed over and over in the past few decades, even though thoughts on it can differ from one another. Some see it as something the world should welcome it with open arms while others deem it harmful for their society and culture as a whole, regarding it with fear and distrust.
The root of this fear is planted deep within the soil of interaction. With the clash of so many different cultures, religions, perspectives and views there is a permanent risk of conflicting ideas.
Freedom of speech and expression of one’s own rites and rituals can lead to dire consequences, since religion is a more delicate matter than politics for example (greater fervor being involved in the matter).
In Romania there are few cases of immigrants that decide to settle down. It’s more like a transitory country for them, a “gateway to Western Europe” as it was often referred to along time.
Romanians or any orthodox Christian for that matter hasn’t had many problems outside the country thanks to capable religious administrations and government, they being given places of worship for temporary or permanent use.
In Romania the ethnical mix and that of religious groups is quite big (even more so in the south-eastern part of the country) but no serious conflicts have come to pass. Faith in a higher power is definitely something that brings religious people together and helps toward a better coexistence, but as much as it is a uniting link, the many differences in rite is the thing that sets everyone apart.
Every religious man is taught that their way is the right and as such, each tries to convert the other to their own religion, the problem of conversion is again a very delicate one (like not letting one openly practice their religion, as mentioned before) since many are not willing to convert and the reactions can be even violent, feeling offended.
Europe is divided into 3 main religious groups: the Catholics, the Protestants and the Orthodox, with many neo-protestant groups and sects trying to gain new members, with the adding of religions brought by immigrants, some consider it already too much and are suspicious that the new religions might want to spread more than “allowed” by certain countries.( Switzerland is such an example, banning outright the immigration of Turks into their country). One’s religion should be treated with respect and as God (or Allah) gave us free will we can choose if we wish to embrace a new religion if offered or politely refuse. The philosopher Platon affirms that “there is only one truth” and until this one truth is unearthed. We might as well respect each other’s faith and not look down upon them, even if we might consider them misled. If religion teaches us some things, then those should be at least PATIENCE and TOLERANCE.
As for the states regarding foreign religions as dangerous, their fears are bred by misconception and misinformation, even exaggerated stereotypes. A better understanding of these “foreign” religions is the solution to the anxiety looming over us.
Only when we have a better understanding of each other will we make steps towards a better integration.
Priest and teacher Nechita Florian
Article translated by Patrick Bohony
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Presentation of the German team in Bursa
The topic of integration in the German media
Honour killings
by Vanessa Seifert
Our first topic are so-called “honour killings“. This is an important topic in the German media with regard to immigrant families.
First of all I would like to explain in a few words what the meaning of honor killing is and what you should know about this subject. The word “honor killing“ describes the intentional homicide or murder of a mostly female member of a family to prevent a social lowering by breaking a gender-related rules of etiquette.
According to estimates of the world population report of the UNO at least 5,000 girls and women are yearly murdered worldwide because of " moral honour “. The justification of these murders are traditional codes of honor which fix certain rules of etiquette. The honor of a person or the family, a group or even the land is classified as an especially high and protection-worth norm which they want to protect and to defend.
In other words: A woman has broken traditional rules of behaviour. Often, her life-style is regarded as too Western, too liberal or too independent by male members of her family. So maybe she has had her own mind, has visited dance clubs on her own, has had German friends or even boy-friends and so on.
In the German press nearly every family drama which has happened in a Muslim family is called an honor killing. Why the press only speaks of honor killing when the culprit is a Turk or Kurd is not clear while reading the articles. When there is a report about such an honor killing, they don’t make a difference between Kurdish and Turkish families, either.
In the press they only speak of Muslims or Turkish families.
I would like to introduce here a rather untypical example of an honor killing.
Some day during the 25 years of marriage Recai became drug addicted. Because he was already without occupation, he went back to Turkey. But he came back to Munich, began drinking and terrorising his wife.
In March 2008 his wife obtained the right that he was forbidden to enter the flat of the family.
Recai moved in a man's hostel and planned his revenge from there.
On the 15th of July, 2008 he waited for his wife in the middle of Munich. She picked her young daughter up from school. First he kissed their daughter. After that, he hit Ayse with a bottle on her head. She broke down. But Recai did not desist from her. Instead he continued to hit her with the broken bottle on head and neck while she lay on the ground in her blood.
Two passers-by could pull him away and hold him on the ground. Recai shouted: “ Hopefully she is dead, hopefully I have hit the nerves.“ He was drunk, but he still knew what he was doing. Maybe he had drunk because he hoped for a milder punishment. Later he could be arrested without resistance by the police.
On the 15th of May, 2009 Recai was found guilty of attempted murder and dangerous physical injury by the district court of Munich. He was convicted to 12 years of prison and hospitalization in a drug clinic.
Fortunately the young woman was not killed, often such attacks end deadly. Nevertheless, it becomes clear, that there are typical motives. The woman defends herself against her brutal man, goes to a court and does not allow him to come home any more. The man feels injured in his honor and wants to revenge himself.
Turkish neo-fascist movements in the Federal Republic of Germany
by Cem Halil Yada
In Germany there are living millions of Turks at the end of 2009, they were relatives of the first emigrants which came to Germany as part of the great labour migration in 50ies. Radical political groups, neo fascist as well as islamist groups, have a lot of influence under the Turkish community in Germany. In this text, I am going to write something about the neo fascist movement. The ultra nationalist Turkish movement was founded around 1968 and the time after it as a response to the ultra left groups which were based on communism.
This movement was founded by the former army sergeant Alparslan Türkes and it is very racistic, enemies of them are Armenians, Americans who are called crusaders, Jewish People who are called Zionists, also Communism and especially the Kurdish People and the terroristic organisation PKK. The political party of the Turkish fascists is the MHP (Milliyet Hareket Partisi), which were elected as the strongest party in some provinces (for example Adana) in the last election campaign in 2007.
The first Grey Wolves, as they call themselves, were militias, which were trained in military camps in the Middle- and Eastern parts of Anatolia. (It is possible that this idea of training young people and indoctrinating them was inspired by the Hitlerjugend in Nazi Germany, in general it is possible to say that the MHP works in the same way as the NSDAP did it in Nazi Germany, for example the MHP leader Türkes said one time that Hitler was “a good man” and that he is an example for him).
The members of the Grey wolves are very brutal and know no mercy to their enemies, it is said that the organisation is responsible for thousands of deaths between 1968 and 2008- often they were tortured before death. The Turkish Secret Service thinks that the Grey Wolves are also working together with the Turkish organized crime. In the years after 1968 and also in the 70s the organisation fought a kind of civil war in Turkey against left organisations and parties, this conflict was also a reason for the military activity in 1980 under General Evren. This shows one fact: The Turkish Nationalists are maybe one of the biggest threats of Turkish Democracy and Freedom.
The Party searched new members and tried to expand to Europe, also to have better relations to the mafia and to sell drugs, this is one of their biggest ways of making money, so the leader Türkes ordered some of his followers to go to Germany and also to France, especially as Germany had been target of massive labour migration since 1955. Their profession was to infiltrate the Turkish communities. Today the Grey Wolves are very popular under Turkish young people, reason for that could be the crisis of identity of the young people, because they are neither real Turkish nor real German, they belong to both cultures and nations and a lot of them have problems with that fact.
In the German media, the Grey Wolves and other extreme right- wing parties are seen very critically, because of German history. The activities of these Turkish Nationalists are very different, they are organizing for example demonstrations against the Armenian genocide in 1915 or against the PKK, but also they are building football places for the young people. But they are also made responsible for a lot of different honour killings and for attacks on Kurdish people in Germany as well as on Communists.
It is also rumoured that some of the Grey Wolves belong to the Turkish Mafia and have got a lot of influence in the market of drug trafficking. The biggest problems they bring to Germany is that they are also partly responsible for the failure of the integration of the Turkish community in the German Society. So to sum up one could say that the Turkish nationalist movement is a threat for both nations, Germany and also Turkey.
“Aktion zusammen wachsen”
by Jale Yasan
Germany has got a large list of integration programs. One of the most important integration program is called “Aktion zusammen wachsen” (“Growing together”) which includes many different projects and initiatives.
It’s an education project in association with godparents. Committed citizens support children and teenagers of immigrant families by helping them to learn the German language, doing their homework or by advising and attending them on the way from school to occupation.
The program’s aims are e.g. to advance the integration of people with migration background and to invigorate, stabilize and to mobilize the civic commitment. There are also other aims like the invigoration of the existing projects and to start some new ones, or to support the social co-existence of migrants and ethnic Germans. Another very important aim is to stop discrimination and hostility against foreigners.
To realize all these things, the program has got a lot of things to do. The tasks are to provide attorneyships for migrants and of course to help with orientation and integration - especially for new migrants. Also to give advice about school and occupation and questions concerning further migration or return to their home countries. As well the support for organizations and the formation of some new ones.
Honour killings
by Vanessa Seifert
Our first topic are so-called “honour killings“. This is an important topic in the German media with regard to immigrant families.
First of all I would like to explain in a few words what the meaning of honor killing is and what you should know about this subject. The word “honor killing“ describes the intentional homicide or murder of a mostly female member of a family to prevent a social lowering by breaking a gender-related rules of etiquette.
According to estimates of the world population report of the UNO at least 5,000 girls and women are yearly murdered worldwide because of " moral honour “. The justification of these murders are traditional codes of honor which fix certain rules of etiquette. The honor of a person or the family, a group or even the land is classified as an especially high and protection-worth norm which they want to protect and to defend.
In other words: A woman has broken traditional rules of behaviour. Often, her life-style is regarded as too Western, too liberal or too independent by male members of her family. So maybe she has had her own mind, has visited dance clubs on her own, has had German friends or even boy-friends and so on.
In the German press nearly every family drama which has happened in a Muslim family is called an honor killing. Why the press only speaks of honor killing when the culprit is a Turk or Kurd is not clear while reading the articles. When there is a report about such an honor killing, they don’t make a difference between Kurdish and Turkish families, either.
In the press they only speak of Muslims or Turkish families.
I would like to introduce here a rather untypical example of an honor killing.
Some day during the 25 years of marriage Recai became drug addicted. Because he was already without occupation, he went back to Turkey. But he came back to Munich, began drinking and terrorising his wife.
In March 2008 his wife obtained the right that he was forbidden to enter the flat of the family.
Recai moved in a man's hostel and planned his revenge from there.
On the 15th of July, 2008 he waited for his wife in the middle of Munich. She picked her young daughter up from school. First he kissed their daughter. After that, he hit Ayse with a bottle on her head. She broke down. But Recai did not desist from her. Instead he continued to hit her with the broken bottle on head and neck while she lay on the ground in her blood.
Two passers-by could pull him away and hold him on the ground. Recai shouted: “ Hopefully she is dead, hopefully I have hit the nerves.“ He was drunk, but he still knew what he was doing. Maybe he had drunk because he hoped for a milder punishment. Later he could be arrested without resistance by the police.
On the 15th of May, 2009 Recai was found guilty of attempted murder and dangerous physical injury by the district court of Munich. He was convicted to 12 years of prison and hospitalization in a drug clinic.
Fortunately the young woman was not killed, often such attacks end deadly. Nevertheless, it becomes clear, that there are typical motives. The woman defends herself against her brutal man, goes to a court and does not allow him to come home any more. The man feels injured in his honor and wants to revenge himself.
Turkish neo-fascist movements in the Federal Republic of Germany
by Cem Halil Yada
In Germany there are living millions of Turks at the end of 2009, they were relatives of the first emigrants which came to Germany as part of the great labour migration in 50ies. Radical political groups, neo fascist as well as islamist groups, have a lot of influence under the Turkish community in Germany. In this text, I am going to write something about the neo fascist movement. The ultra nationalist Turkish movement was founded around 1968 and the time after it as a response to the ultra left groups which were based on communism.
This movement was founded by the former army sergeant Alparslan Türkes and it is very racistic, enemies of them are Armenians, Americans who are called crusaders, Jewish People who are called Zionists, also Communism and especially the Kurdish People and the terroristic organisation PKK. The political party of the Turkish fascists is the MHP (Milliyet Hareket Partisi), which were elected as the strongest party in some provinces (for example Adana) in the last election campaign in 2007.
The first Grey Wolves, as they call themselves, were militias, which were trained in military camps in the Middle- and Eastern parts of Anatolia. (It is possible that this idea of training young people and indoctrinating them was inspired by the Hitlerjugend in Nazi Germany, in general it is possible to say that the MHP works in the same way as the NSDAP did it in Nazi Germany, for example the MHP leader Türkes said one time that Hitler was “a good man” and that he is an example for him).
The members of the Grey wolves are very brutal and know no mercy to their enemies, it is said that the organisation is responsible for thousands of deaths between 1968 and 2008- often they were tortured before death. The Turkish Secret Service thinks that the Grey Wolves are also working together with the Turkish organized crime. In the years after 1968 and also in the 70s the organisation fought a kind of civil war in Turkey against left organisations and parties, this conflict was also a reason for the military activity in 1980 under General Evren. This shows one fact: The Turkish Nationalists are maybe one of the biggest threats of Turkish Democracy and Freedom.
The Party searched new members and tried to expand to Europe, also to have better relations to the mafia and to sell drugs, this is one of their biggest ways of making money, so the leader Türkes ordered some of his followers to go to Germany and also to France, especially as Germany had been target of massive labour migration since 1955. Their profession was to infiltrate the Turkish communities. Today the Grey Wolves are very popular under Turkish young people, reason for that could be the crisis of identity of the young people, because they are neither real Turkish nor real German, they belong to both cultures and nations and a lot of them have problems with that fact.
In the German media, the Grey Wolves and other extreme right- wing parties are seen very critically, because of German history. The activities of these Turkish Nationalists are very different, they are organizing for example demonstrations against the Armenian genocide in 1915 or against the PKK, but also they are building football places for the young people. But they are also made responsible for a lot of different honour killings and for attacks on Kurdish people in Germany as well as on Communists.
It is also rumoured that some of the Grey Wolves belong to the Turkish Mafia and have got a lot of influence in the market of drug trafficking. The biggest problems they bring to Germany is that they are also partly responsible for the failure of the integration of the Turkish community in the German Society. So to sum up one could say that the Turkish nationalist movement is a threat for both nations, Germany and also Turkey.
“Aktion zusammen wachsen”
by Jale Yasan
Germany has got a large list of integration programs. One of the most important integration program is called “Aktion zusammen wachsen” (“Growing together”) which includes many different projects and initiatives.
It’s an education project in association with godparents. Committed citizens support children and teenagers of immigrant families by helping them to learn the German language, doing their homework or by advising and attending them on the way from school to occupation.
The program’s aims are e.g. to advance the integration of people with migration background and to invigorate, stabilize and to mobilize the civic commitment. There are also other aims like the invigoration of the existing projects and to start some new ones, or to support the social co-existence of migrants and ethnic Germans. Another very important aim is to stop discrimination and hostility against foreigners.
To realize all these things, the program has got a lot of things to do. The tasks are to provide attorneyships for migrants and of course to help with orientation and integration - especially for new migrants. Also to give advice about school and occupation and questions concerning further migration or return to their home countries. As well the support for organizations and the formation of some new ones.
Ernst-Reuter-Initiative
by Janina Babst
The Ernst-Reuter-Initiative was founded in Istanbul in 2006 by Frank Walter Steinmeier (then Foreign Secretary of Germany) and the Turkish Foreign Secretary at that time, Abdullah Gül. The aim of this initiative is the strengthening of the German-Turkish collaboration and the intensification of the intercultural dialogue of these two countries.
In the end of 2008, 16 projects had the symbol of the Ernst-Reuter-Initiative. These projects support the cooperation in art-culture, politics-media, economy and science.
One of these projects is called “Bundesmigrantinnen” - pictures of migration in public space. In this project, migrants are showing in art-style, what they are hoping and dreaming for. In workshops, the migrants talk about their experiences in the new country where they live and each oft them makes sketches about how they feel.
These sketches are developed into pictograms and are shown on advertisings and digital animation screens in the underground, on flyers or on bags. This project has staken place in the cities Berlin, Hamburg and Köln.
Integration in Seelze
by Markus Baumeister
7% of the 34.000 people, living in our town Seelze, are immigrants. But if you take into account immigrants with German nationality, especially ethnic German emigrants (e.g. from Russia), the rate is about 10%.
For this presentation, we read the local newspaper of Seelze, called “Leinezeitung” with special regard to articles about immigrants and integration projects. There were many reports about different activities and projects by the city of Seelze. These articles show that our city does a lot to improve the integration of immigrants.
The most important target of the integration work in Seelze is defined as follows: To create a good atmosphere by fighting against any hatred and hostility against immigrants.
Targets of integration in Seelze:
There are three ways in which the city of Seelze tries to reach these aims:
personal support
projects
integration pilots
1.The social service does help persons in different situations individually. First of all, the immigrants make a “living-plan” together with the social workers, by taking into account the individual needs of every immigrant. Furthermore immigrants have the chance to ask for help whenever they have problems. The most important indicators for integration are education and language skills, immigrants who accept the German culture and even learn the language, have better chances to integrate themselves fast and to become independent of the state-facilities.
2.The integration is additionally promoted by special projects, supporting the approach of immigrants and Germans. In Seelze, this work is attended by a delegated woman for integration. From 2005 to 2010 she realized more than 7 projects together with the administration and immigrants. Moreover, especially children and teenagers are supported in their integration, for example by doing sports in a club, because in this age integration succeeds better.
3.Since 2009, two women support immigrated families in their every-day-life. These women work voluntarily and additionally to the staffs of the administration. Because of the short while they have been working, there are no solid results of their work yet.
Illustration of one project to integrate immigrants:
In 2008, seven immigrated boys and one German build a cargo rail station model, under instruction of the joinery and administration in Seelze. There were 3 Russian boys, 1 Turkish, 1 Albanian and 1 Polish immigrant in the project. This project had the following targets:
practical:
- learning technical skills
- focusing local workforce
educational:
- supporting solidarity
- working for the commonwealth
- supporting the understanding for each other
- establishing new social contacts
The result:
This model was issued during the 100th celebration of the cargo rail station. The boys were very proud of what they had achieved. The rail station is the biggest one in Northern Germany and one of the most important places in Seelze. Today the model is placed in the museum of local history in Seelze.The EU has supported this project financially.
In the end of 2008, 16 projects had the symbol of the Ernst-Reuter-Initiative. These projects support the cooperation in art-culture, politics-media, economy and science.
One of these projects is called “Bundesmigrantinnen” - pictures of migration in public space. In this project, migrants are showing in art-style, what they are hoping and dreaming for. In workshops, the migrants talk about their experiences in the new country where they live and each oft them makes sketches about how they feel.
These sketches are developed into pictograms and are shown on advertisings and digital animation screens in the underground, on flyers or on bags. This project has staken place in the cities Berlin, Hamburg and Köln.
Integration in Seelze
by Markus Baumeister
7% of the 34.000 people, living in our town Seelze, are immigrants. But if you take into account immigrants with German nationality, especially ethnic German emigrants (e.g. from Russia), the rate is about 10%.
For this presentation, we read the local newspaper of Seelze, called “Leinezeitung” with special regard to articles about immigrants and integration projects. There were many reports about different activities and projects by the city of Seelze. These articles show that our city does a lot to improve the integration of immigrants.
The most important target of the integration work in Seelze is defined as follows: To create a good atmosphere by fighting against any hatred and hostility against immigrants.
Targets of integration in Seelze:
There are three ways in which the city of Seelze tries to reach these aims:
personal support
projects
integration pilots
1.The social service does help persons in different situations individually. First of all, the immigrants make a “living-plan” together with the social workers, by taking into account the individual needs of every immigrant. Furthermore immigrants have the chance to ask for help whenever they have problems. The most important indicators for integration are education and language skills, immigrants who accept the German culture and even learn the language, have better chances to integrate themselves fast and to become independent of the state-facilities.
2.The integration is additionally promoted by special projects, supporting the approach of immigrants and Germans. In Seelze, this work is attended by a delegated woman for integration. From 2005 to 2010 she realized more than 7 projects together with the administration and immigrants. Moreover, especially children and teenagers are supported in their integration, for example by doing sports in a club, because in this age integration succeeds better.
3.Since 2009, two women support immigrated families in their every-day-life. These women work voluntarily and additionally to the staffs of the administration. Because of the short while they have been working, there are no solid results of their work yet.
Illustration of one project to integrate immigrants:
In 2008, seven immigrated boys and one German build a cargo rail station model, under instruction of the joinery and administration in Seelze. There were 3 Russian boys, 1 Turkish, 1 Albanian and 1 Polish immigrant in the project. This project had the following targets:
practical:
- learning technical skills
- focusing local workforce
educational:
- supporting solidarity
- working for the commonwealth
- supporting the understanding for each other
- establishing new social contacts
The result:
This model was issued during the 100th celebration of the cargo rail station. The boys were very proud of what they had achieved. The rail station is the biggest one in Northern Germany and one of the most important places in Seelze. Today the model is placed in the museum of local history in Seelze.The EU has supported this project financially.
Interviews by German students
From Bukarest to Berenbostel
Question: Could you please introduce yourself?
Answer: My name is Andrea, I am 32 years old and I come from Romania and I emigrated from Bukarest to Berenbostel, Germany, eight years ago.
Q: What were your reasons to emigrate? Why did you choose Germany?
A: I had personal reasons for my emigration. I got to know my husband, who comes from Germany. Eight years ago I followed him.
Q: What was your impression of Germany before you went there? Were there any personal imaginations or opinions of your family / your friends?
A: No, especially for Germany there were no imaginations. Certainly it was something special to live in a foreign country for such a long time. A few times people got jealous when they listened to my stories.
Q: How did the settling down proceed? Did you have major problems with the integration? How did you manage the unknown language?
A: I used to study German in Romania. But this basic language didn’t help me a lot. Because of my German husband my integration was immensely relieved. I was introduced to his friends and his family. I forced the people to speak with me in the English language in Germany the first time.
But my first impression of Germany was really negative. After six o’clock the streets used to be almost empty here in Berenbostel, so I asked my husband for the reason for that, because I was really confused. I lived in the capital of Romania before my emigration and I did not know anything like this. For me it was usual to go out with a friend into a cybercafé even at two o’ clock in the night.
Q: What was your entrance in the work life like?
A: After a few months I started with my first job as a waiter in a café, although I almost couldn’t speak any German. I took the menu and learned it by heart. But when costumers had any requests I understandably had my problems. Because of my husband, who works at the police station, I got my current job as an interpreter at the police station.
Q: What do you think are the differences between Germany and your mother country Romania?
A: The most differences are between the people here in Germany and the people in Romania. People in Romania are considerably friendlier and more open hearted. Also the people in Romania are more hospitable; regardless of whether he or she is poor or rich, immediately the guest is offered something. In my eyes the German people are cold, stingy and reluctant. For example when I could not sleep, I went to my friend in the middle of the night, threw stones at her window and did something with her in the city. Something like this would be inconceivable here in Germany, while this is natural in Romania.
Q: Please remember your first time here in Germany. Would you say that the integration was difficult because of the different traits of the people?
A: Yes, at the beginning it was really difficult. It took me almost two years to meet friends. In the first years I used to be homesick, especially at the holidays like Christmas. I thought a lot of my family and often I cried.
Q: Is there any longer a connection to your family and friends in your homeland? Do you keep in touch with Romanian clubs or associations here in Germany?
A: Still I keep up the contact to my family and friends in Romania. Also in Germany, I met some Romanian friends, but my best friend here in Germany is German and no, I don’t keep in touch with Romanian clubs.
Q: Looking back at the eight years you now live here in Germany, would you say that it was the right decision to immigrate to Germany?
A: I can only answer this question inaccurately. Maybe it would have been better to build up my life in Romania before immigrating to Germany.
Interview by Jan Helle
Translated by Andre Krahl
My interview with Ufuk Özer
Why does your family live in Germany?
My grandfather was a guest-worker in Germany. 1970 he came to Germany and was the whole time bus driver. Through a reunion of the family my father came to Germany too. I was born in Germany.
What is your impression of Germany?
In comparison to many other countries Germany is the best country in which you can live. But the contact among people is often very cold. It is a pity that many people are so cold to one another.
What was the best and what the worst experience here in Germany?
I have experienced many things here in Germany, but I have to think about it, which was good and what was bad… I will begin with my worst experience here in Germany. I was approx. 6 years old. One night a neighbour rang the doorbell. When my mother opened the peephole, the neighbour battered with a hammer against the window. He said that since we lived there it stank and we only produced trash. One evening father attacked this neighbour. Since that day there was only hatred and we couldn’t go out alone to play. It was so wicked that we had to move away. My best experience was in the time at elementary school. In elementary school was a teacher who helped me with my linguistic problems and explained much to me. She gave me much advice which often helped me. Altogehter I think I learned so many negative things.
Do you feel accepted in Germany?
In principle I would say no. I have learnt, that I was treated different than others in police controls. A policeman called me a “goddamn Döner”. I told him “I am a potato” (because I own a German identity card and the German citizenship.) My sister is medical secretary and meets, time and again, people who don’t acknowledge her as medical secretary or say, that they don’t want be examined by a Turk.
Were you ever discriminated or personally attacked because of your culture?
Oh yes, very often. Once, such things like in question three. I was often named as unprogressive and conservative because I am proud about the things I believe in.
Would you say that you are integrated into the German society?
Yes of course! I see no differences between me and a German boy. I play in a German football team, go often to a German bakery to buy my buns, visit a German speaking grammar school and live my life like a German child. And just because I celebrate Bayram instead of Christmas, because I drink tea instead of beer to celebrate something or because I go to the Turkish corner instead of discos I should be different? I follow the rules of the society but I don’t want to assimilate.
Is it possible for you to live according to your religion?
In my opinion my religion is tolerated in Germany. I think this is great.
I can exercise my religion freely. I mean, in the school I wait for the break and go to my car to pray. This is the best solution and I am not constricted.
Would you go back to Turkey or do you plan to? When, why?
No, I don’t. I was raised here. When I go back to Turkey today it would be very complicated for me to adapt to the rules there. In Turkey live different people. There the “German-Turk” is named “Alamanci”, this is very pejorative. In Turkey we are treated like foreigners. I can think about living in the Turkey, but not at the moment.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
I can’t say that to 100%, I have plans. The best is a job to support a family and be of use for society. I only can say that I have wishes and dreams…. But what will happen und what not, will be decided by God alone.
Please make a ranking with the words: Family, religion and culture.
On top of the list is for me my religion, in the second place is the family and then the culture. On the bottom of the list under all the other points is “fun” and all the things, that have to do with it. With this I mean the people who live from welfare money and at the cost of the normal people, those who only want to drink and party. Those people who ruin our reputation.
Interview by Vanessa Seifert
Interview with A.
My name is A. and I am the child of repatriates of German origin, who came back from Russia to Germany in 1990. I was born in Germany (Hanover) and I don’t talk Russian, although I understand a large part of the language. Both of my parents were born in Russia, but they speak nearly perfect German. My mother has a noticeable accent.
In the 1980s my parents were thinking about going to Germany because of the fact that the political and social situation was very difficult in Russia. Basic human rights were only partly given, e.g. the right to vote. Besides, my parents had to live with prejudices as Russian Germans. They were called traitors and “Nazis” and they were not allowed to speak German.
The fact that my grand-parents and other relatives had dared to leave their country of birth heartened my parents to go back to Germany, too. They needed much courage for a big step to something new. In 1990 they sold their farm and left for Germany. At this time my mother was pregnant with me in the eighth month and many of the relatives were afraid whether she could travel without any difficulties.
After arriving my parents and sister had to live in a house for asylum seekers for two years. They lived in different three-room apartments. My parents had to visit a language course to be able to talk to the Germans and my sister was in kindergarten. After the language course my father worked in the same job which he had in Russia. My mother does not have a professional education, so she is still a housewife. One of the problems my mother had was her accent so, for example, she didn’t go to parents’ evenings at our schools. Furthermore the teacher said that they had to speak German at home.
I try to help my mother often because she thinks that the Germans don’t like her because of her accent. I was afraid of prejudices so I never talked about my parents’ origin. Nowadays I am more open with this issue.
I don’t want to learn Russian because I feel like a German citizen. I am glad to live with two cultures - it’s an enrichment for me.
Translated by Sarina Steinborn and Ghadir Ballout
Interview with a third generation Turkish immigrant
Hello Burak, maybe you can tell us something about yourself before we start with the interview.
My name is Burak and I am 18 years old. I was born in Hanover and now I live in Seelze, with my mother, my father and my three younger siblings. My family owns several houses. At the moment I visit a vocational college.
Burak, the first question deals with your family. Where are your parents from and what was their job there?
My parents came from a small town near the city Izmir at the Aegean Sea. These people hadn’t a lot of money and they were working as farmers. Today you would say that they belong to the lower class.
When did your parents come to Germany and how old were they?
My maternal grandfather was a first-generation immigrant worker and he took my grandmother and my mother to Germany. She was two years old at that time. My father met my mother in Germany while visiting friends. He was 20 years old when he came to Germany. My siblings and I were born in Germany.
Why did your parents choose Germany as their homeland and how did they get here?
As I said before my family didn’t have a very comfortable life in Turkey. In Germany there was a great economic boom and they searched for workers. In the 1960s they hired immigrant workers from Turkey and my parents expected a better life. The papers were taken care of by the employer and they got an apartment provided.
Did they come alone or with their family?
First my grandfather came to Germany as an immigrant worker and he should return after five years. But the companies wanted to keep the immigrant workers for a longer time because they didn’t want to educate new workers constantly. So my family followed him.
What did the parents of your grandparents think about this?
The people from the Anatolian villages didn’t have much money and because of that they were very proud and they expected wealth from the homecoming money.
Where there any problems leaving Turkey?
No, because there where special treaties between Germany and Turkey.
How did your parents imagine Germany to be and how did they prepare to live here?
My grandparents didn’t know Germany very well. The people from Anatolia knew that the living conditions were much better and they thought that Germany was a very rich country. Before the immigration they didn’t prepare themselves because they meant to stay only temporarily. My grandparents learnt to speak German here. My parents also visited language classes, although my mother grew up in Germany.
Did they accept the qualifications of your parents?
My father studied in Turkey, but that wasn’t accepted.
What are your parents’ professions?
My father has worked for VSM for 18 years. My mother has a small bakery in our town.
Which citizenship do your parents own, Turkish or German?
My parents and I have both citizenships.
How did you grow up? Did your parents speak Turkish or German with you and your siblings?
I was in the swimming team and now I play football in a football club in Letter. On the one hand I have got a lot of Turkish friends but on the other hand I made German friends in school. During my childhood I often visited Turkey and because of that I met other friends from there.
What would your parents say if your girlfriend was German? What would happen if you married her? How do you think about it?
I don’t care which nationality my wife might have. Sure she also can be German. But honestly I have to say my parents wouldn’t take it that easy and they may wish to have a Turkish daughter- in- law.
What do and what don’t you like about Germany?
I was born here and I like German discipline and orderliness. However, Turkish casualness can be a nice change from that as well. I don’t like the fact that many Germans are prejudiced against Turks. I really hope this will change in the future.
Do you want to move to Turkey one day? Maybe as a pensioner?
That is very unlikely, having grown up here. But I wouln’t rule it out to 100 per cent as we have many relatives in Turkey to whom we hold up the contact. My grandparents go to Turkey every year for about two months, whereas I only go every other year.
Where do you want to be buried after you die?
We have a family grave in Turkey where my grandparents and parents want to be buried. So that counts for me as well.
Thanks for the interview.
Interview by Peter-Christian Betke, translated by Vanessa Reinhold and Philipp Werner
Interview with Elisabeth Wilk
Hello Mrs Wilk. First of all I want to thank you for your agreement to give us an interview. Please tell us, at first, something about yourself!
Wilk: Hello. My name is Elisabeth Wilk. I’m German but originally I come from Poland, near Warsaw. I was born there on 15th September 1956.
When did you come to Germany?
Wilk: At the beginning of 1960 we left Poland and moved to Hamburg.
And why did you leave your native country? Were there any special reasons for leaving?
Wilk: Of course. To cut a long story short: we left because my father got a better place of employment. In addition to that, we had relatives in Germany. So it wasn’t very hard for my parents to leave our country, especially for my father as a native German it wasn’t a problem.
Your father was German? So why did you live in Poland before?
Wilk: As far as I know he left at that time because of employment, but don’t ask me about the details. I don’t know them precisely. That’s what he has been telling me all the years. There he got to know my mother and in 1949 they married. After the marriage they stayed in Poland first, where we, both of my brothers and sisters and I, were born. We also grew up in Poland till my father received a job proposition in Germany and that was the reason for going back to Germany.
Do you remember your first impressions when you came to Germany?
Wilk: I don’t remember a lot, because I was only three years old. But what I can bring back to mind is that I was really missing my friends. There were some kids from the neighborhood that I played with. My mother told me that at the beginning I was really petulant because I wanted to see my friends. So therefore I think my first impressions weren’t very good. But from my point of view now and from my situation today I definitely would say that it was a good decision to move to Germany.
Why do you think that your decision was good?
Wilk: I simply think that my brothers and sisters and I had better chances for our futures. And of course our financial situation was better than before because of my father’s job. Moreover we have got family in Germany and in Poland. So all in all I think that the decision to move to Germany was good.
Did you experience any problems as an immigrant?
Wilk: No, as far as I know I didn’t. Because of the fact that my father was German it wasn’t a problem for us to get a German passport. We also had no problem to move into our new apartment after members of our family that live in Germany had already prepared everything for us. And as far as I know from tales there were no complications with our immigration.
Did you miss Poland after you left, apart from the fact that you missed your friends?
Wilk: We children only missed Poland because of our friends. My father was very glad to be back in Germany. Of course there were some friends from Poland he would have been happy to hold the contact to. I think my mother was the one who was hurt the most. She had never been anywhere else than in Poland. But she never blamed anybody although she had to leave her family and had to start from the beginning. Later she found an employment as a shop assistant. From that point I think she neither didn’t want to go back.
Was it hard for you to find new friends and to integrate?
Wilk: No. For us children it was very simple. Especially for my little sister who was born here in 1961 it was no problem because she was already born in the ‘’German culture’’. My other brothers and sisters and I were also already speaking German because of the fact that we were educated bilingually. And that was another point where my mother was in the worst situation. She didn’t speak German very well, but after a short time she learned to speak German and also got familiar with the new ‘’culture’’.
Did you have problems with prejudices?
Wilk: I have never experienced anything like that. Maybe because some people don’t even know that I come from Poland because I speak better German than Polish. But I remember an incident with my sister. In the beginning she spoke a lot of Polish with my brother, so they were insulted by another girl. But that was not anything grave.
Do you live here more than a German or more than a Polish person?
Wilk: German! I see myself as a German. We even lived like Germans in Poland. I would never go back to Poland. Apart from some relatives, I have no connection to that country. My sisters see it in the same way and even my mother doesn’t want to go back.
Thanks for the interview.
Interview by Jasmina Tews
Translation by Gabriele Bubula
Interview with Erdem Savas
Which generation of your family emigrated to Germany and which were the reasons for their emigration?
Erdem: My grandfather and my grandmother emigrated in 1967 together with my father, who was born in Turkey in 1964. To begin with, my family lived in the city of Canakkale which is near the antique city of Troja. My grandparents have seven sisters and brothers. The main reason for their emigration was the unemployment in Turkey. In addition, my grandfather did not want to work in agriculture. As a result, they abandoned their domicile and came to Germany. Fortunately, my grandfather had a qualification from Turkey, which was accepted by the German government. As a simple guest worker, my grandfather worked for Continental, a company that produces rubber tyres. There, he had to melt the rubber. In general, this work was very difficult because of the stench, which was the reason why the foreign workers had to do this work. His qualification was very good; as a consequence he was able to work in higher positions later. Furthermore, he got a master degree in his job because he went to a master school. Accordingly, he was allowed to educate other workers in his business. After years of hard work, he went into retirement in 1995.
How did your parents’ and your journey through life continue in Germany?
Erdem: Well, my father ended school with the Certificate of Secondary Education and worked in many cities in different businesses. In the year 2000 he decided to stay in Hannover with his parents and the other family members and he began a job at VW. Fortunately, all family members are able to speak German. Only my mother and grandmother speak a lot of Turkish with me. I´d like to point out that my life was normal, as that of German people. I was born in Hanover on June 10th 1987. My parents and my older sister taught me German and therefore I was able to speak German with the other children in kindergarten. In particular, I learned Turkish from my grandmother and my mother. But I did not have to go to Koran school. After the basic education I went to junior high school. What is important is that I finished school as the only foreign person. I changed the school and went to gymnasium. I´d like to stress the point that I finished my secondary school education with the high GPA of 1.4! Now, I’m doing a “dual studies” education at VW: for three days in a week I go to the technical college in Hanover, on the other three days I work in my company as a technician. It is essential to say that I am very proud of my education because I am the first family member who finished school with a secondary school education. In the future, I am going to work in the foreign department of VW and visit a lot of countries all over the world.
So you are not the typical immigrant. Don’t you want to live like your family and have your own big family?
Erdem: First of all, I am not a typical family man and therefore I want to see the world and travel through all countries. In addition, I will create a plan for my future. I might marry in my future, too, but at the moment I have other preferences.
Does your family live like the Germans or do they have a traditional life?
Erdem: Basically, one can say that my family lives a modern, German life. Not only the German families live in a modern way, but also the Turkish families. I would like to add that my mother cooks German and Turkish food. Moreover, on Easter and on Christmas my whole family gets together like most German families. Nevertheless, we celebrate the Turkish public holidays.
Are you more a Turkish man or a German one?
Erdem: Well, I am more German than Turkish, but I feel good in both countries. This is due to the fact that I know both cultures very well, thus, I can use both advantages. To give an example, I am able to speak Turkish with my assistants. It is very helpful to explain something to them in their own language. When I was able to decide, I chose the German passport. This can be explained by saying that I feel at home in Germany. Apart from that, I have the right for work and live in Turkey. To be more accurate, I am allowed to have all rights, except the right to vote. In Germany, I always go to a Turkish hair dresser where I can practice my Turkish. It bothers nobody there, whereas I do not speak Turkish on the streets where it might bother people. What makes me Turkish is my temper and my stubbornness, but I have also German traits such as punctuality and diligence.
Has your family ever faced discrimination?
Erdem: Nobody in my family was received badly by the Germans. But al the members of my family have done a lot to adapt to German life since they came. My grandfather and father worked very hard and I am the first one to have a good starting point in life. I was brought up bilingually. And I was lucky not to look to Turkish, with my blue eyes. Many Turks still have a lot of problems at school because they don’t speak German well. This is due to the fact that they stick among themselves. They do not know where they belong. Generally, mistakes are made by both sides, Germans and Turks. A better looking after would give many a better perspective. Education is the only way, but you have to do something for it, too.
Will your parents ever go back to Turkey?
Erdem: My parents have always spent time in Turkey, so they will never lose the contact to that country. I don’t think they will ever leave Germany for good, having friends and family here and having built a house. But they might “commute” between the two countries in the future, spending the summers in Germany and the winters in Turkey. Which is what many German Turks do. It is also true that they prefer BMWs.
Interview by Saskia Sack
Translated by Nele Fischer and Svenja Struß
Interview with Natalja K.
For the subject "Integration" I had an interview with an immigrant called Natalja K. . She was born in Russia but today she lives in Germany. She and her family, her husband (Andrej K.), her son (Dieter H., birth name Dimitrij K.) and her daughter (Maria K.) emigrated from Russia to Germany in 1996. She reported something about the background, the integration and experiences which she and her family have made.
In the beginning of the interview, I asked her what were the motivation for Natalja and her family to emigrate. She told me that the main reason were their children and the future. She explained this statement with the fact that during this time the crime rate was very high in Russia and that they as parents had fears about their children. In addition, her son would have had to start the military duty in the red army. The main reason for the thoughts of emigration was the instable economic and political situation of the land. Based on this answer I asked her, why they chose Germany. The mother and the grandmother of Mr. K. already lived in Germany, so they chose Germany to reunite the family. Accordingly, I wanted to know, what the first impression was which Natalja and her family had about Germany.
Mrs. K. answered that she has to make adistinction because before they emigrated, she and her family had visited their mother and grandmother in Germany in 1994. She said that she and her family had liked it so much that they did not want to go back. The politics and economy in Germany were more stable and the circumstances were much better than in Russia. My next question was how the impression of Germany was after the emigration and whether it was still positive. She told me that the impression changed through the acute troubles like linguistic problems, no work and the increasing bureaucracy. Natalja K. said that it mas no more like in the vacation. To secure her own future and the future of the children was the only concern at that time.
I wanted to know how Natalja K. and her family were received here in Germany. She reported that there were different reactions. During the passing through the departments they met people which were very friendly to her and her family, because it was a normal situation to them. But there were also persons who showed antipathy and prejudices. After a linguistic test Mrs. K. was classified as a foreigner and according to this she got a Russian identity card.
My next question was whether she feels integrated or if there are still problems.
She answered that she feels integrated, but that there also problems: She still is considered as a Russian. Natalja and her husband recognized the prejudices and the social exclusion especially with their children. Their son changed his birthname into a German name because of problems in school, in everyday life and also because of the unsuccessful search for a traineeship. Mrs. K. said, that her family and especially their son recognize that this was the right decision, because with his German name he is treated differently and is respected by some people. Many people even don’t recognize that his parents are foreigners and he was born in Russia.
“A change of name?” I asked. Furthermore I wanted to know, whether anyone can do this or not. She answered that this is only possible in Lower Saxony at the moment. First you have to make an application for the change of the name at the civil registry office giving a written ground for the change. The base for the approval of the change of the name is that the applicant has a family member who is German citizen and is considered as repatriate. She also said, that this is a complex procedure and her son had to go often to the civil registry office and show the documents of the family and the documents of his grandmother, a copy of the identity card of his parents, the birth certificate and the documents from the late emigration to change his name from Dimitrij K. to Dieter H. This isn’t only a complex procedure, it is expensive too. You have to pay 500 Euros. Despite this complex and expensive procedure they also want to make it possible for their daughter. During the interview I asked Natalja K. whether there is still contact to Russia or if it is totally dismantled. Mrs. Natalja K. explained that the contact will still continue because her whole family still lives in Russia.
Her family still likes their home country after all these years. They watch Russian shows on TV and it is very important for them, to raise the children with two languages.
My last question was, if they plan to go back to Russia. She answered me that she doesn’t want to go back to Russia these days. She and her husband said that if the situation in Russia will continue to get better while the situation in Germany gets worse and Germany shows an instable economic and political situation they could think of going back to Russia for retirement.
Interview and translation by Claudia Fischer
Question: Could you please introduce yourself?
Answer: My name is Andrea, I am 32 years old and I come from Romania and I emigrated from Bukarest to Berenbostel, Germany, eight years ago.
Q: What were your reasons to emigrate? Why did you choose Germany?
A: I had personal reasons for my emigration. I got to know my husband, who comes from Germany. Eight years ago I followed him.
Q: What was your impression of Germany before you went there? Were there any personal imaginations or opinions of your family / your friends?
A: No, especially for Germany there were no imaginations. Certainly it was something special to live in a foreign country for such a long time. A few times people got jealous when they listened to my stories.
Q: How did the settling down proceed? Did you have major problems with the integration? How did you manage the unknown language?
A: I used to study German in Romania. But this basic language didn’t help me a lot. Because of my German husband my integration was immensely relieved. I was introduced to his friends and his family. I forced the people to speak with me in the English language in Germany the first time.
But my first impression of Germany was really negative. After six o’clock the streets used to be almost empty here in Berenbostel, so I asked my husband for the reason for that, because I was really confused. I lived in the capital of Romania before my emigration and I did not know anything like this. For me it was usual to go out with a friend into a cybercafé even at two o’ clock in the night.
Q: What was your entrance in the work life like?
A: After a few months I started with my first job as a waiter in a café, although I almost couldn’t speak any German. I took the menu and learned it by heart. But when costumers had any requests I understandably had my problems. Because of my husband, who works at the police station, I got my current job as an interpreter at the police station.
Q: What do you think are the differences between Germany and your mother country Romania?
A: The most differences are between the people here in Germany and the people in Romania. People in Romania are considerably friendlier and more open hearted. Also the people in Romania are more hospitable; regardless of whether he or she is poor or rich, immediately the guest is offered something. In my eyes the German people are cold, stingy and reluctant. For example when I could not sleep, I went to my friend in the middle of the night, threw stones at her window and did something with her in the city. Something like this would be inconceivable here in Germany, while this is natural in Romania.
Q: Please remember your first time here in Germany. Would you say that the integration was difficult because of the different traits of the people?
A: Yes, at the beginning it was really difficult. It took me almost two years to meet friends. In the first years I used to be homesick, especially at the holidays like Christmas. I thought a lot of my family and often I cried.
Q: Is there any longer a connection to your family and friends in your homeland? Do you keep in touch with Romanian clubs or associations here in Germany?
A: Still I keep up the contact to my family and friends in Romania. Also in Germany, I met some Romanian friends, but my best friend here in Germany is German and no, I don’t keep in touch with Romanian clubs.
Q: Looking back at the eight years you now live here in Germany, would you say that it was the right decision to immigrate to Germany?
A: I can only answer this question inaccurately. Maybe it would have been better to build up my life in Romania before immigrating to Germany.
Interview by Jan Helle
Translated by Andre Krahl
My interview with Ufuk Özer
Why does your family live in Germany?
My grandfather was a guest-worker in Germany. 1970 he came to Germany and was the whole time bus driver. Through a reunion of the family my father came to Germany too. I was born in Germany.
What is your impression of Germany?
In comparison to many other countries Germany is the best country in which you can live. But the contact among people is often very cold. It is a pity that many people are so cold to one another.
What was the best and what the worst experience here in Germany?
I have experienced many things here in Germany, but I have to think about it, which was good and what was bad… I will begin with my worst experience here in Germany. I was approx. 6 years old. One night a neighbour rang the doorbell. When my mother opened the peephole, the neighbour battered with a hammer against the window. He said that since we lived there it stank and we only produced trash. One evening father attacked this neighbour. Since that day there was only hatred and we couldn’t go out alone to play. It was so wicked that we had to move away. My best experience was in the time at elementary school. In elementary school was a teacher who helped me with my linguistic problems and explained much to me. She gave me much advice which often helped me. Altogehter I think I learned so many negative things.
Do you feel accepted in Germany?
In principle I would say no. I have learnt, that I was treated different than others in police controls. A policeman called me a “goddamn Döner”. I told him “I am a potato” (because I own a German identity card and the German citizenship.) My sister is medical secretary and meets, time and again, people who don’t acknowledge her as medical secretary or say, that they don’t want be examined by a Turk.
Were you ever discriminated or personally attacked because of your culture?
Oh yes, very often. Once, such things like in question three. I was often named as unprogressive and conservative because I am proud about the things I believe in.
Would you say that you are integrated into the German society?
Yes of course! I see no differences between me and a German boy. I play in a German football team, go often to a German bakery to buy my buns, visit a German speaking grammar school and live my life like a German child. And just because I celebrate Bayram instead of Christmas, because I drink tea instead of beer to celebrate something or because I go to the Turkish corner instead of discos I should be different? I follow the rules of the society but I don’t want to assimilate.
Is it possible for you to live according to your religion?
In my opinion my religion is tolerated in Germany. I think this is great.
I can exercise my religion freely. I mean, in the school I wait for the break and go to my car to pray. This is the best solution and I am not constricted.
Would you go back to Turkey or do you plan to? When, why?
No, I don’t. I was raised here. When I go back to Turkey today it would be very complicated for me to adapt to the rules there. In Turkey live different people. There the “German-Turk” is named “Alamanci”, this is very pejorative. In Turkey we are treated like foreigners. I can think about living in the Turkey, but not at the moment.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
I can’t say that to 100%, I have plans. The best is a job to support a family and be of use for society. I only can say that I have wishes and dreams…. But what will happen und what not, will be decided by God alone.
Please make a ranking with the words: Family, religion and culture.
On top of the list is for me my religion, in the second place is the family and then the culture. On the bottom of the list under all the other points is “fun” and all the things, that have to do with it. With this I mean the people who live from welfare money and at the cost of the normal people, those who only want to drink and party. Those people who ruin our reputation.
Interview by Vanessa Seifert
Interview with A.
My name is A. and I am the child of repatriates of German origin, who came back from Russia to Germany in 1990. I was born in Germany (Hanover) and I don’t talk Russian, although I understand a large part of the language. Both of my parents were born in Russia, but they speak nearly perfect German. My mother has a noticeable accent.
In the 1980s my parents were thinking about going to Germany because of the fact that the political and social situation was very difficult in Russia. Basic human rights were only partly given, e.g. the right to vote. Besides, my parents had to live with prejudices as Russian Germans. They were called traitors and “Nazis” and they were not allowed to speak German.
The fact that my grand-parents and other relatives had dared to leave their country of birth heartened my parents to go back to Germany, too. They needed much courage for a big step to something new. In 1990 they sold their farm and left for Germany. At this time my mother was pregnant with me in the eighth month and many of the relatives were afraid whether she could travel without any difficulties.
After arriving my parents and sister had to live in a house for asylum seekers for two years. They lived in different three-room apartments. My parents had to visit a language course to be able to talk to the Germans and my sister was in kindergarten. After the language course my father worked in the same job which he had in Russia. My mother does not have a professional education, so she is still a housewife. One of the problems my mother had was her accent so, for example, she didn’t go to parents’ evenings at our schools. Furthermore the teacher said that they had to speak German at home.
I try to help my mother often because she thinks that the Germans don’t like her because of her accent. I was afraid of prejudices so I never talked about my parents’ origin. Nowadays I am more open with this issue.
I don’t want to learn Russian because I feel like a German citizen. I am glad to live with two cultures - it’s an enrichment for me.
Translated by Sarina Steinborn and Ghadir Ballout
Interview with a third generation Turkish immigrant
Hello Burak, maybe you can tell us something about yourself before we start with the interview.
My name is Burak and I am 18 years old. I was born in Hanover and now I live in Seelze, with my mother, my father and my three younger siblings. My family owns several houses. At the moment I visit a vocational college.
Burak, the first question deals with your family. Where are your parents from and what was their job there?
My parents came from a small town near the city Izmir at the Aegean Sea. These people hadn’t a lot of money and they were working as farmers. Today you would say that they belong to the lower class.
When did your parents come to Germany and how old were they?
My maternal grandfather was a first-generation immigrant worker and he took my grandmother and my mother to Germany. She was two years old at that time. My father met my mother in Germany while visiting friends. He was 20 years old when he came to Germany. My siblings and I were born in Germany.
Why did your parents choose Germany as their homeland and how did they get here?
As I said before my family didn’t have a very comfortable life in Turkey. In Germany there was a great economic boom and they searched for workers. In the 1960s they hired immigrant workers from Turkey and my parents expected a better life. The papers were taken care of by the employer and they got an apartment provided.
Did they come alone or with their family?
First my grandfather came to Germany as an immigrant worker and he should return after five years. But the companies wanted to keep the immigrant workers for a longer time because they didn’t want to educate new workers constantly. So my family followed him.
What did the parents of your grandparents think about this?
The people from the Anatolian villages didn’t have much money and because of that they were very proud and they expected wealth from the homecoming money.
Where there any problems leaving Turkey?
No, because there where special treaties between Germany and Turkey.
How did your parents imagine Germany to be and how did they prepare to live here?
My grandparents didn’t know Germany very well. The people from Anatolia knew that the living conditions were much better and they thought that Germany was a very rich country. Before the immigration they didn’t prepare themselves because they meant to stay only temporarily. My grandparents learnt to speak German here. My parents also visited language classes, although my mother grew up in Germany.
Did they accept the qualifications of your parents?
My father studied in Turkey, but that wasn’t accepted.
What are your parents’ professions?
My father has worked for VSM for 18 years. My mother has a small bakery in our town.
Which citizenship do your parents own, Turkish or German?
My parents and I have both citizenships.
How did you grow up? Did your parents speak Turkish or German with you and your siblings?
I was in the swimming team and now I play football in a football club in Letter. On the one hand I have got a lot of Turkish friends but on the other hand I made German friends in school. During my childhood I often visited Turkey and because of that I met other friends from there.
What would your parents say if your girlfriend was German? What would happen if you married her? How do you think about it?
I don’t care which nationality my wife might have. Sure she also can be German. But honestly I have to say my parents wouldn’t take it that easy and they may wish to have a Turkish daughter- in- law.
What do and what don’t you like about Germany?
I was born here and I like German discipline and orderliness. However, Turkish casualness can be a nice change from that as well. I don’t like the fact that many Germans are prejudiced against Turks. I really hope this will change in the future.
Do you want to move to Turkey one day? Maybe as a pensioner?
That is very unlikely, having grown up here. But I wouln’t rule it out to 100 per cent as we have many relatives in Turkey to whom we hold up the contact. My grandparents go to Turkey every year for about two months, whereas I only go every other year.
Where do you want to be buried after you die?
We have a family grave in Turkey where my grandparents and parents want to be buried. So that counts for me as well.
Thanks for the interview.
Interview by Peter-Christian Betke, translated by Vanessa Reinhold and Philipp Werner
Interview with Elisabeth Wilk
Hello Mrs Wilk. First of all I want to thank you for your agreement to give us an interview. Please tell us, at first, something about yourself!
Wilk: Hello. My name is Elisabeth Wilk. I’m German but originally I come from Poland, near Warsaw. I was born there on 15th September 1956.
When did you come to Germany?
Wilk: At the beginning of 1960 we left Poland and moved to Hamburg.
And why did you leave your native country? Were there any special reasons for leaving?
Wilk: Of course. To cut a long story short: we left because my father got a better place of employment. In addition to that, we had relatives in Germany. So it wasn’t very hard for my parents to leave our country, especially for my father as a native German it wasn’t a problem.
Your father was German? So why did you live in Poland before?
Wilk: As far as I know he left at that time because of employment, but don’t ask me about the details. I don’t know them precisely. That’s what he has been telling me all the years. There he got to know my mother and in 1949 they married. After the marriage they stayed in Poland first, where we, both of my brothers and sisters and I, were born. We also grew up in Poland till my father received a job proposition in Germany and that was the reason for going back to Germany.
Do you remember your first impressions when you came to Germany?
Wilk: I don’t remember a lot, because I was only three years old. But what I can bring back to mind is that I was really missing my friends. There were some kids from the neighborhood that I played with. My mother told me that at the beginning I was really petulant because I wanted to see my friends. So therefore I think my first impressions weren’t very good. But from my point of view now and from my situation today I definitely would say that it was a good decision to move to Germany.
Why do you think that your decision was good?
Wilk: I simply think that my brothers and sisters and I had better chances for our futures. And of course our financial situation was better than before because of my father’s job. Moreover we have got family in Germany and in Poland. So all in all I think that the decision to move to Germany was good.
Did you experience any problems as an immigrant?
Wilk: No, as far as I know I didn’t. Because of the fact that my father was German it wasn’t a problem for us to get a German passport. We also had no problem to move into our new apartment after members of our family that live in Germany had already prepared everything for us. And as far as I know from tales there were no complications with our immigration.
Did you miss Poland after you left, apart from the fact that you missed your friends?
Wilk: We children only missed Poland because of our friends. My father was very glad to be back in Germany. Of course there were some friends from Poland he would have been happy to hold the contact to. I think my mother was the one who was hurt the most. She had never been anywhere else than in Poland. But she never blamed anybody although she had to leave her family and had to start from the beginning. Later she found an employment as a shop assistant. From that point I think she neither didn’t want to go back.
Was it hard for you to find new friends and to integrate?
Wilk: No. For us children it was very simple. Especially for my little sister who was born here in 1961 it was no problem because she was already born in the ‘’German culture’’. My other brothers and sisters and I were also already speaking German because of the fact that we were educated bilingually. And that was another point where my mother was in the worst situation. She didn’t speak German very well, but after a short time she learned to speak German and also got familiar with the new ‘’culture’’.
Did you have problems with prejudices?
Wilk: I have never experienced anything like that. Maybe because some people don’t even know that I come from Poland because I speak better German than Polish. But I remember an incident with my sister. In the beginning she spoke a lot of Polish with my brother, so they were insulted by another girl. But that was not anything grave.
Do you live here more than a German or more than a Polish person?
Wilk: German! I see myself as a German. We even lived like Germans in Poland. I would never go back to Poland. Apart from some relatives, I have no connection to that country. My sisters see it in the same way and even my mother doesn’t want to go back.
Thanks for the interview.
Interview by Jasmina Tews
Translation by Gabriele Bubula
Interview with Erdem Savas
Which generation of your family emigrated to Germany and which were the reasons for their emigration?
Erdem: My grandfather and my grandmother emigrated in 1967 together with my father, who was born in Turkey in 1964. To begin with, my family lived in the city of Canakkale which is near the antique city of Troja. My grandparents have seven sisters and brothers. The main reason for their emigration was the unemployment in Turkey. In addition, my grandfather did not want to work in agriculture. As a result, they abandoned their domicile and came to Germany. Fortunately, my grandfather had a qualification from Turkey, which was accepted by the German government. As a simple guest worker, my grandfather worked for Continental, a company that produces rubber tyres. There, he had to melt the rubber. In general, this work was very difficult because of the stench, which was the reason why the foreign workers had to do this work. His qualification was very good; as a consequence he was able to work in higher positions later. Furthermore, he got a master degree in his job because he went to a master school. Accordingly, he was allowed to educate other workers in his business. After years of hard work, he went into retirement in 1995.
How did your parents’ and your journey through life continue in Germany?
Erdem: Well, my father ended school with the Certificate of Secondary Education and worked in many cities in different businesses. In the year 2000 he decided to stay in Hannover with his parents and the other family members and he began a job at VW. Fortunately, all family members are able to speak German. Only my mother and grandmother speak a lot of Turkish with me. I´d like to point out that my life was normal, as that of German people. I was born in Hanover on June 10th 1987. My parents and my older sister taught me German and therefore I was able to speak German with the other children in kindergarten. In particular, I learned Turkish from my grandmother and my mother. But I did not have to go to Koran school. After the basic education I went to junior high school. What is important is that I finished school as the only foreign person. I changed the school and went to gymnasium. I´d like to stress the point that I finished my secondary school education with the high GPA of 1.4! Now, I’m doing a “dual studies” education at VW: for three days in a week I go to the technical college in Hanover, on the other three days I work in my company as a technician. It is essential to say that I am very proud of my education because I am the first family member who finished school with a secondary school education. In the future, I am going to work in the foreign department of VW and visit a lot of countries all over the world.
So you are not the typical immigrant. Don’t you want to live like your family and have your own big family?
Erdem: First of all, I am not a typical family man and therefore I want to see the world and travel through all countries. In addition, I will create a plan for my future. I might marry in my future, too, but at the moment I have other preferences.
Does your family live like the Germans or do they have a traditional life?
Erdem: Basically, one can say that my family lives a modern, German life. Not only the German families live in a modern way, but also the Turkish families. I would like to add that my mother cooks German and Turkish food. Moreover, on Easter and on Christmas my whole family gets together like most German families. Nevertheless, we celebrate the Turkish public holidays.
Are you more a Turkish man or a German one?
Erdem: Well, I am more German than Turkish, but I feel good in both countries. This is due to the fact that I know both cultures very well, thus, I can use both advantages. To give an example, I am able to speak Turkish with my assistants. It is very helpful to explain something to them in their own language. When I was able to decide, I chose the German passport. This can be explained by saying that I feel at home in Germany. Apart from that, I have the right for work and live in Turkey. To be more accurate, I am allowed to have all rights, except the right to vote. In Germany, I always go to a Turkish hair dresser where I can practice my Turkish. It bothers nobody there, whereas I do not speak Turkish on the streets where it might bother people. What makes me Turkish is my temper and my stubbornness, but I have also German traits such as punctuality and diligence.
Has your family ever faced discrimination?
Erdem: Nobody in my family was received badly by the Germans. But al the members of my family have done a lot to adapt to German life since they came. My grandfather and father worked very hard and I am the first one to have a good starting point in life. I was brought up bilingually. And I was lucky not to look to Turkish, with my blue eyes. Many Turks still have a lot of problems at school because they don’t speak German well. This is due to the fact that they stick among themselves. They do not know where they belong. Generally, mistakes are made by both sides, Germans and Turks. A better looking after would give many a better perspective. Education is the only way, but you have to do something for it, too.
Will your parents ever go back to Turkey?
Erdem: My parents have always spent time in Turkey, so they will never lose the contact to that country. I don’t think they will ever leave Germany for good, having friends and family here and having built a house. But they might “commute” between the two countries in the future, spending the summers in Germany and the winters in Turkey. Which is what many German Turks do. It is also true that they prefer BMWs.
Interview by Saskia Sack
Translated by Nele Fischer and Svenja Struß
Interview with Natalja K.
For the subject "Integration" I had an interview with an immigrant called Natalja K. . She was born in Russia but today she lives in Germany. She and her family, her husband (Andrej K.), her son (Dieter H., birth name Dimitrij K.) and her daughter (Maria K.) emigrated from Russia to Germany in 1996. She reported something about the background, the integration and experiences which she and her family have made.
In the beginning of the interview, I asked her what were the motivation for Natalja and her family to emigrate. She told me that the main reason were their children and the future. She explained this statement with the fact that during this time the crime rate was very high in Russia and that they as parents had fears about their children. In addition, her son would have had to start the military duty in the red army. The main reason for the thoughts of emigration was the instable economic and political situation of the land. Based on this answer I asked her, why they chose Germany. The mother and the grandmother of Mr. K. already lived in Germany, so they chose Germany to reunite the family. Accordingly, I wanted to know, what the first impression was which Natalja and her family had about Germany.
Mrs. K. answered that she has to make adistinction because before they emigrated, she and her family had visited their mother and grandmother in Germany in 1994. She said that she and her family had liked it so much that they did not want to go back. The politics and economy in Germany were more stable and the circumstances were much better than in Russia. My next question was how the impression of Germany was after the emigration and whether it was still positive. She told me that the impression changed through the acute troubles like linguistic problems, no work and the increasing bureaucracy. Natalja K. said that it mas no more like in the vacation. To secure her own future and the future of the children was the only concern at that time.
I wanted to know how Natalja K. and her family were received here in Germany. She reported that there were different reactions. During the passing through the departments they met people which were very friendly to her and her family, because it was a normal situation to them. But there were also persons who showed antipathy and prejudices. After a linguistic test Mrs. K. was classified as a foreigner and according to this she got a Russian identity card.
My next question was whether she feels integrated or if there are still problems.
She answered that she feels integrated, but that there also problems: She still is considered as a Russian. Natalja and her husband recognized the prejudices and the social exclusion especially with their children. Their son changed his birthname into a German name because of problems in school, in everyday life and also because of the unsuccessful search for a traineeship. Mrs. K. said, that her family and especially their son recognize that this was the right decision, because with his German name he is treated differently and is respected by some people. Many people even don’t recognize that his parents are foreigners and he was born in Russia.
“A change of name?” I asked. Furthermore I wanted to know, whether anyone can do this or not. She answered that this is only possible in Lower Saxony at the moment. First you have to make an application for the change of the name at the civil registry office giving a written ground for the change. The base for the approval of the change of the name is that the applicant has a family member who is German citizen and is considered as repatriate. She also said, that this is a complex procedure and her son had to go often to the civil registry office and show the documents of the family and the documents of his grandmother, a copy of the identity card of his parents, the birth certificate and the documents from the late emigration to change his name from Dimitrij K. to Dieter H. This isn’t only a complex procedure, it is expensive too. You have to pay 500 Euros. Despite this complex and expensive procedure they also want to make it possible for their daughter. During the interview I asked Natalja K. whether there is still contact to Russia or if it is totally dismantled. Mrs. Natalja K. explained that the contact will still continue because her whole family still lives in Russia.
Her family still likes their home country after all these years. They watch Russian shows on TV and it is very important for them, to raise the children with two languages.
My last question was, if they plan to go back to Russia. She answered me that she doesn’t want to go back to Russia these days. She and her husband said that if the situation in Russia will continue to get better while the situation in Germany gets worse and Germany shows an instable economic and political situation they could think of going back to Russia for retirement.
Interview and translation by Claudia Fischer
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Timea
Emotions
It was a lovely autumn day as I arrived at school. The morning was pleasant and I didn’t have a problem getting up so early.
I entered the classroom and four of my colleagues were anxious and nervous. I immediately understood their state of spirit as we were talking about Petruţa, Florina, Roxana and Paul. You could see the excitement on their faces as the big day was approaching.
I remembered than, the first school day after the summer holidays, when the whole class gathered and decided, together with our form teacher, who was going to go to Germany with the project “Immigrants, past and present”. Those were the four pupils selected to happily represent our country and city.
On that autumn day, the emotions were high. We tried to encourage our classmates, telling them that everything will be all right. We were sure that they would have a wonderful time in Germany with the other pupils and teachers. And so it was. All four of them got back from the trip filled with positive thoughts and feelings. We were all proud of them because they managed to proudly represent our College. The period 1st – 6th of December 2009 offered the participants involved in the project a rich and powerful experience. As our classmates expressed in their feedbacks, this trip was all worth, despite their anxiety and maybe even fear. They came back and shared with the rest of us all their positive energy and wonderful experiences from Germany. The satisfactions from working in the project and visiting the beautiful cities of Germany were big. We even saw photos of the participants working hard doing their job as good as possible.
Those days have gone by quickly but they will manage to stay unforgettable in their hearts.
Horvath Timea
It was a lovely autumn day as I arrived at school. The morning was pleasant and I didn’t have a problem getting up so early.
I entered the classroom and four of my colleagues were anxious and nervous. I immediately understood their state of spirit as we were talking about Petruţa, Florina, Roxana and Paul. You could see the excitement on their faces as the big day was approaching.
I remembered than, the first school day after the summer holidays, when the whole class gathered and decided, together with our form teacher, who was going to go to Germany with the project “Immigrants, past and present”. Those were the four pupils selected to happily represent our country and city.
On that autumn day, the emotions were high. We tried to encourage our classmates, telling them that everything will be all right. We were sure that they would have a wonderful time in Germany with the other pupils and teachers. And so it was. All four of them got back from the trip filled with positive thoughts and feelings. We were all proud of them because they managed to proudly represent our College. The period 1st – 6th of December 2009 offered the participants involved in the project a rich and powerful experience. As our classmates expressed in their feedbacks, this trip was all worth, despite their anxiety and maybe even fear. They came back and shared with the rest of us all their positive energy and wonderful experiences from Germany. The satisfactions from working in the project and visiting the beautiful cities of Germany were big. We even saw photos of the participants working hard doing their job as good as possible.
Those days have gone by quickly but they will manage to stay unforgettable in their hearts.
Horvath Timea
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