A generation of 'German-Turks'
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She made her breakthrough in 2004 as the main actress in the feature film "Gegen die Wand". Today Sibel Kekilli (*1980) is one of the most distinguished German actresses. Her parents came to Germany from Turkey in the 1970s and were part of the first generation of guest workers. However, Sibel Kekilli refuses to accept the label "German Turk" – she has a German passport -
As recently became known, Chancellor Helmut Kohl wanted to halve the number of Turks living in Germany in 1982. A suggestion that seems absurd to many today. Around three million people with Turkish roots live in Germany today. People such as Fatih Akin – born in 1973 in Hamburg as the son of Turkish parents, he is one of the best-known directors in German film -
Ali Gungormus was the first gourmet chef of Turkish origin to receive a Michelin star in 2006 – the award for the best kitchens worldwide. His restaurant "Le Canard Nouveau" is one of Hamburg's top addresses. Gungormusʹ career is remarkable. He came to Germany from Turkey at the age of ten. His humble origins have often driven him, says the 37-year-old -
The artist Ayse Erkmen (*1949) in her own work as "Bodyscan": she has become an integral part of the German art scene. She came to Berlin from Istanbul 20 years ago; today she lives alternately in both cities. Since 2012 she has been a member of the Akademie der Kunste in Berlin. It has left its mark all over Germany: it transforms banal spaces into exciting places of art -
Vural Oger (*1942) came to Germany from Turkey in 1960. After his mining studies he founded the international tour operator Oger Tours and developed it into one of the largest travel companies in Germany. From 2004 to 2009 he was a member of the European Parliament for the SPD. Oger was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his intercultural and social commitment -
Emine Sevgi Ozdamar (*1946) is one of Germany's best-known authors. She has lived in Berlin since 1986 and writes her books in German. She first came to the country when she was 18, out of love for the theatre. But she earned her money working in a factory. Today she is a member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry: recognition for her work, with which she enriches German literature -
Whether as the Indian Rangeev, the Turk Hakan or the Italian Francesco –German TV audiences know Kaya Yanar (*1973) by many names. In his sketch show "What are you looking at?" the German-Turkish comedian played with the cliches of migrant groups. In 2005 he finished the show to dedicate himself to his stage show (picture). His saying "Look here!" has long since become a cult -
Since the beginning of the 2013/14 season, Shermin Langhoff has been artistic director of the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin. Previously, she was director of the Theater Ballhaus Naunynstrasse in Berlin's Kreuzberg district for five years, which presents "post-migrant theatre," as Langhoff calls it. Ever since, the Ballhaus has enjoyed a reputation for exemplary productions, well beyond the city limits of the German capital. Langhoff (*1969) first came to Germany at the age of nine -
When he became the first member of parliament of Turkish origin for the Greens in 1994, Cem Ozdemir (*1965) set out to show that a German Turk in parliament would turn out to be a bearded monster with a dagger in his belt. In 2008 he became party leader of the Greens. He is committed to Turkey's accession to the EU and Turkish lessons in German schools -
One of German broadcastingʹs best-loved faces: Nazan Eckes (*1976) is a leading German television presenter. The daughter of Turkish immigrants presents magazine shows and blockbuster TV specials. In 2010 Nazan Eckes published a book about her family history. She is also socially committed: since 2011 she has been a member of the Integration Advisory Board of the Federal Government -
Ever since his best-selling novel "Leyla" was published in 2006, Feridun Zaimoglu (*1964) has belonged to the elite of German contemporary writers. He came to Germany five months after his birth as the son of Turkish immigrants. The author has repeatedly drawn on the life of migrants and wandering between two worlds in his books, plays and works of art -
His most successful play to date, "Verruecktes Blut" (Crazy Blood) tells the story of a teacher who uses a weapon to try to gain respect in her migrant class. Nurkan Erpulat (*1974) is an actor, director and author. Today he works as a director with the Dusseldorf Schauspielhaus -
One of the greatest German football stars: Mesut Ozil (*1988), son of Turkish parents, decided to keep his German passport and made the German national team in 2009. By the 2010 World Cup, the midfielder captured the hearts of fans and was nominated as the best World Cup player. At his club Real Madrid, they rave about the "miracle" Ozil. © DW 2013 Authors: Marie Todeskino, Johanna Veh, Aya Bach; Editors: Klaudia Prevezanos