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