German-Turkish Culture: Guest Workers, Doner Kebabs And Cultural Identity | Meet The Germans

Turkish culture can be spotted all over Germany - in fact Rachel was introduced to the Lahmacun or "Turkish pizza" on one of her first trips to Cologne. For this episode of Meet the Germans, she finds out more about the legacy of the "Gastarbeiter" or guest worker generation in Germany and what it's like to be part of the German-Turkish community today.
Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic - from language to food to surprising laws. This week: German-Turkish culture.
#MeetTheGermans #Germany #Turkey #DWEuromaxx
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[@dweuromaxx]

What are your thoughts or questions on this topic?

[@typxxilps]

Well, that is not all over germany cause there are still big areas without the turkish shisha Döner thing and the wedding car lane once crossed the city went pretty wrong, cause they had shot with weapons out of the car and police stopped them and arrested 2 or 3 for illegal weapons so wedding was over for them at the roundabout. No Döner at all, but we had guest workers for quite a long time, but those are the opposite of the turkish: greeks and portuguese And when turkish meet greeks in germany the battle can explode cause usually the turkish offend the greek as a smaller minority. Here it did not work out that well cause they had not thought about the huge greek community and their close relationship. But might also be due to a friend who had been a greek jetfighter pilot who had also served in the greek military and had faced the confrontation and clashes in the mediterenean see so I simply now his version only - even though the Nato also quite often talked about the clashes and the danger caused for all. Would be a lot more peacefull if the hot heads would forget about their heritage cause sooner or later they will vanish among the germans or isolate or return. I can remember the day when an exhibition had opened about the armenian genocid and how crazy the uprise and protests became even though those exhibition pieces were proofs, proofs created by the turkish allies cause the turkish had invited the germans back then and presented them the massacre sites like the americans were whitnessing these crimes , so there are to independent groups of people that knew about the genocid and they had been taken photos back then which were part of the exhibition. Pretty scary reaction and a lot of broken glasses and troubles in a city with a tiny turkish population that suddenly went crazy in those days. Just a few years ago and therefore not everything is right and nice cause I have never seen greek going upset against the turkish, only vice versa or turkish against kurds from the 90s on with street wars and street fighting like those in Mannheim. Crazy, dangerous times back then cause some kurdisch people had burned themselves back then in public streets.

[@jacquimekias9247]

Good job Rachel, as usual. As an immigrant, this topic is close to my heart in so many ways. My spouse immigrated to the US from Algeria in the 1970s and became a naturalized US citizen. Decades later, his work brought us to Germany. While we were officially accepted here without complications because of our education and American passports (although my spouse is often asked by curious Germans where he is really from when he says the US), none of my spouses relatives in Algeria have been able to receive even a tourist visa to visit. It is frustrating, given that many of my spouse's colleagues are Turkish and Indian, and they are regularly allowed to bring multiple family members over for long term visits. Because of my US passport, even my roots of Germanic ancestry dating in the US from the 1600s will never make me 'German' in the eyes of Germany. It seems Germany, where my spouse and I have unlimited residency permits and consider our home where we will retire, has a long way to balance its views of what really defines what is German, and how to treat all foreigners with equal respect.

[@RachelStewart04]

@@jacquimekias9247 Thanks Jacqui! It's such interesting discussion - what makes you "belong," is it a passport, your ancestry, setting up a life somewhere... Do you think the planned changes to dual nationality rules will have an impact on the way people see this?

[@jacquimekias9247]

@@RachelStewart04 It is my sincere hope that Germany will allow dual citizenship to all who want it, and not to just a few nationals from countries who don't allow citizens to 'renounce'. I'm a bit old now to be considering dropping my American citizenship, it is very expensive and time consuming to do so. But my son wants to be a German citizen, and removing the expense and difficulty of renouncing his US citizenship (especially during the pandemic) would be very helpful. I also wish our local government as well as the EU would allow those of us with permanent residence here the opportunity to vote. I understand it is a privilege to vote in federal elections. But many decisions are made at the local level as well as the EU level that affect everyone who resides here and our voices deserve to be heard as much as anyone else who calls the EU home. I wonder what your take is on that now that the UK has departed EU?

[@RachelStewart04]

@@jacquimekias9247 I absolutely agree - the right to vote is a vital part of contributing to society, and yet many people are excluded from doing so. I find it bizarre that I can vote in the UK but not here!

[@eastfrisianguy]

In the mid-1990s, we had only one Turkish family in my rural village in East Frisia (north-west Germany), and I started school with one of their boys. He hardly spoke any German, I spoke no Turkish, but we still understood each other and he learned the language very quickly. I was often invited to his family's house and was treated like one of their own children. One day I had an operation, was pretty sick and while none of the neighbours or my (german) mates showed up, he suddenly appeared at the door with his whole family to celebrate my recovery. When they realised that my family circumstances were in disarray (parents divorced, I stayed with my father), I became much more closely integrated into the Turkish family. They did it without condemnation, most of the (German) neighbours or village people talked behind their backs and there was hardly any help, as a single father my father had a hard time, that was not a given back then. My father, in turn, knew that there were always watchful eyes on us boys (we only had shenanigans in our heads and made a lot of pranks, hehe!). We in turn helped the Turkish family when they needed support in dealing with the administration. Unfortunately, they moved away when I was around 12 and the contact broke off. Three weeks ago, my father was refereeing football ("soccer") in our closest district town and a Turkish player came up to my father - it was the boy from back then! My father first did not recognise him, because he is an adult (like me 34 years old).The whole family was greeted, I was to be sent greetings and I have rarely been so happy about news from home! 😊 I learned a bit of Turkish culture back then, could even speak a bit of Turkish and Kurdish (but forgot it all again) and loved the food! We Germans can learn so much from the way they treat children / family in general and especially from their warmth and hospitality!

[@shafinrahman2199]

People are amazing creatures indeed

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

Was the family Kurdish? Turkish people rarely learn Kurdish so I'm curious lol

[@Kereka]

probably mixed @@MaryamMaqdisi

[@Shaytan.666]

@@MaryamMaqdisi maybe mixed my sisters married Kurds and they can speak both languages

[@timoleon2903]

My father was very proud of being a Gastarbeiter. He liked the word very much, because being a guest is something very honorable. He felt very welcome here in Germany and stayed for almost 40 years. As for the problem of being a child of two cultures: I am a European citizen.

[@jillwheeler6207]

Well written, expressed. 👍🏼

[@gurcuball6193]

So are u Italian,Greek or Serb?

[@jillwheeler6207]

@@gurcuball6193 Who are you asking?

[@gurcuball6193]

@@jillwheeler6207to the guy who commented

[@liualice6443]

Good point

[@peterhomann2140]

My father was "Betriebsratsvorsitzender" (chair person of the worker's council) in a large German brewery, which hired many "Gastarbeiter", Turks, Yugoslavians, Italians, Spaniards and surprisingly quite a few Brazilians These were mostly young men who had no family or social circle (yet), lived in company sponsored dorms, which were, let's say adequate. Especially during the holidays these young men did not really have anything to do, so my dad invited many to join our family during Christmas. There were sometimes 20 or more people and perhaps 2 or 3 spoke the same language. It still is one of my fondest childhood memories.

[@HendraYunan]

Sounds wonderful

[@OmmerSyssel]

How about latest New Year's festivities enriching your fellow citizens?

[@thestonegateroadrunner7305]

@@OmmerSyssel That's not what he is talking about. Anyway, we have all hands full of your "enrichment" of our culture, don't we?

[@IchhabezuvielYoutubegegucktO_o]

@@OmmerSyssel Are you talking about 2015? That wasn't last year buddy

[@samanzibar]

your dad sounds amazing and I'm so glad you got to incorporate that openness and generosity at a young age

[@ardiris2715]

When I was an exchange student in Köln in 1979, many Turkish shared our dorm floor, and thus the kitchen. I shopped where they shopped and cooked using their recipes. The dual culture shocks of attending a German university by day and living on a Turkish dominated dorm floor by night was a truly thrilling experience. (:

[@RachelStewart04]

Two cultures for the price of one, nice :)

[@IAm-zo1bo]

@☽ 𝗞𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶𝗶 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗮n ☾ isn't that what he means

[@TheSwedishRider]

Extremely well researched and voices that needed to be heard! All important points in just under 10 minutes, respect! It covered what my Turkish friends told me!

[@RachelStewart04]

Thank you! I think it's the longest episode I made so far :D so much to say...

[@semirhuskic8028]

@@RachelStewart04 you are perfect for this job

[@marlenemortler3620]

it's not well researched. They already did a huge mistake in the beginning. It is total nonsense that honking is a Turkish thing becuase everyone does it for a really long time.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Why is it important listening to this exclusively stubborn minority in particular? They insist on rejecting our modern values during generations! 74% Turk-Germans voted for wannabe dictator Erdogan, busy turning Turkey into a caliphate! How is that mindset possible as grown up in our free democracies and even silenced by the media? DİTİB are directly connected with antidemocratic Erdogan and supporting the Grey Wolfes! A terror organisation.. Every Turkish imam is loyal to Erdogan and paid by him.. A few disturbing FACTS!

[@maikotter9945]

@@OmmerSyssel DITIB gibt es auch in Mölln (/im Lauenburgischen)!

[@esoterra8050]

When my father came to Germany (Blackforest), he lived in a rented condo. He and his tenant became very good friends and the homeowner even wanted to inherit the house to my father after a couple of years, because he hated his own family. My father didn't accept this and organized to reconcile with his own family. Which they then did. After the successful reconciliation, my father moved out and brought my mother to Germany too. I'm proud to be a child of the Blackforest as much as I'm proud to be from the Black Sea. I sometimes joke about the following: I'm a Turk (Made in Germany)

[@dweuromaxx]

@ESO TERRA What a wonderful Story, Thank you!

[@gringo6362]

Trabzondan?

[@esoterra8050]

@@gringo6362 Ordu

[@eleanorabernathy5562]

I feel like this topic is not known to a lot of the world, so , as someone with turkish roots myself, I am grateful to you for making this video.

[@RachelStewart04]

Our pleasure! It was really interesting to research :)

[@user-nu4um2gr3d]

I have a receding hairline can you help me?

[@aniketgawali6418]

At every major train station you go here in Germany, the first food outlet you see is almost always a Döner shop. That's how popular it is, and needless to say I love it :)

[@Qexilber]

Döner for the win!

[@hurtigheinz3790]

In front of our main train station there is the so called "Dönermeile". There are literally 5 Döner shops next to each other, from small cheap ones to large Turkish restaurant with open flame grilling.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Mcdonald is also seen everywhere, still it is substandard food! Try look into what Döner typically are made off! 🤮

[@thestonegateroadrunner7305]

@@OmmerSyssel Nobody forces you to eat it. And while you are free to eat your "premium" food elsewhere the rest of us is enjoying our lives.

[@IchhabezuvielYoutubegegucktO_o]

@@OmmerSyssel Meat?

[@Pancakiii]

You mentioned a very important point, which is that turks who came here in the 60's and 70's were discouraged to learn the language because they were seen as temporary work force, not as people immigrating. Therefore, there are still loads of older turkish people, especially women, just like you mentioned, who can't speak German very well. Germans tend to be indignant about it because they don't know the full story and that's what makes it so frustrating for me. Turkish people make very awesome friends 🥰 Very glad they are part of the German culture.

[@kani9284]

Yeah but ALL Gastarbeiters were discouraged because they were expected to leave the country after a while.

[@Shaytan.666]

@@kani9284 just because someone stays temporary doesn't mean they shouldn't learn the language Look at the Germany now, they cry about no one learning the language Not every immigrant wants to stay forever here, many of them actually want to go back to their countries

[@kani9284]

@@Shaytan.666 " just because someone stays temporary doesn't mean they shouldn't learn the language " I agree with this. My point was that there were other Gastarbeiter groups that have less issues with integration and they weren't encouraged to stay here either.

[@OmerBerkman]

A very sensitive subject covered very well IMHO. As a Turkish expat ( not living in Germany ) I learned a lot. Thank you! Germany is one of my favorite destinations for holidays by the way.

[@dweuromaxx]

Glad to hear it. Hope to welcome you back for a vacation soon 😁

[@burakcihan]

It would be also nice to comment ongoing migration of skilled people from Turkey (New Wave Turks) due to political and financial issues as we are considerably a large community as well. Interrelationship with the existing Turkish diaspora is somewhat complicated. Many people that I've met here always refer differences between New Wave Turks and the existing ones. From political perspectives to the way of living. Maybe an idea for another video! Good job Rachel! Love your videos!

[@dweuromaxx]

@burak cihan Thanks Burak, interesting topic!

[@shelbynamels973]

Been watching a lot of videos about the deteriorating economic situation in Turkey. A lot of the younger people = the New Wave Turks - are learning English and/or German and are talking about leaving. All I wonder about now is the size of the coming exodus.

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

Another fascinating topic is the challenge of integrating vast amounts of unskilled, analphabets that don't speak the language in a fast moving information society.

[@OmmerSyssel]

@@ArmadilloGodzilla Don't disturb the romantic multiculti vibes on this GEZ funded channel ... They don't care about facts documenting real life issues, outside their comfortable bubble

[@thestonegateroadrunner7305]

@@OmmerSyssel People refer to their own personal experiences that you regrettably don't seem to have. Looking at the tone and content of your comments that's no surprise.

[@simba720]

I am a soldier and was stationed in Germany...the doner kebabs / Dürüms are amazing and they all have their individual taste from bistro to bistro. Definitely something we need in the US Greetings from Hawaii

[@OmmerSyssel]

Considering the stunning low standards of USAmerican food, everything else might be considered an enrichment 🤔🙈

[@maikotter9945]

Every military personal should go to prison for ever!

[@thestonegateroadrunner7305]

@@OmmerSyssel Lovely!

[@simba720]

@@OmmerSyssel i am not saying we need it in the states for quality reasons but for taste and experience. Its comfort food 😋

[@simba720]

@@maikotter9945 why this that?

[@altanreis1616]

Amazing content, thank you for making this informative video. My grandfather moved to Cologne in the early 1960s and also worked at the Ford Motor Company. He was as old as me back then and started a family here in this beautiful city. Without the work, accomplishments and achievements under hard conditions, their descendants would not be able to live here in convenience. RIP to those "Gastarbeiter" who passed away and a long blessed and healthy life for those who still are living and sharing their amazing stories with us.

[@lastfragger1685]

Köln 🥰

[@hazalonthego4116]

(I am Turkish )I had a bad experience studying at Goethe institute in Berlin. I was also using the accommodation the language school provided. I was living with a 60 year old German lady. That lady was incredibly hostile towards me but in my Turkish culture we are taught to not disrespect an elder even at the face of being disrespected. Hence I did not report the lady to the school I did whatever she asked me. but it came to a point when she accused me of stealing the hairdryer which was also there for me to use.. I had forgotten to bring the hair dryer back from my room to the bathroom. She banged my door 5 am in the morning shouting YOU THIEF. Next day I went to the school crying hysterically and explained all the mistreatment. As I was 23 years old young and naive I did not understand why she treated me such but now ı understand it was racism. I wasn't allowed in the living room I wasn't allowed to use the internet at the house and more things like this. I was treated as if I was an infectious disease. I feel bad for her. Goethe institute should do checks on people that works for them.

[@user-dw6ko5lh8b]

I'm very sorry to hear about your experience. This person clearly wasn't qualified to offer accommodations to students. Unfortunately personality traits like hers aren't always apparent when potential hosts apply to provide "Unterkunft" to visitors. I very much hope the rest of your time in Berlin was more enjoyable. Best wishes.

[@Amakhar]

Sounds like you and my friend at the Goethe Institut lived with the same woman (he is French, if it matters). I'm sorry you experienced that, and I hope they stopped sending people to her. She's horrible!

[@shelbynamels973]

Sounds like she was just in it for the money, and found it intolerable she actually had to provided a service in exchange.

[@mucsalto8377]

interesting that even so much time later you still feel the urge to share this personal experience with the DW-community. There are ignorant and racist people all over the world. Was that really all you were able to contribute on this subject?

[@Amakhar]

@@mucsalto8377 I think Hazal actually contributed something by sharing a personal experience relevant to the subject of the video. You’re the one that didn’t contribute anything other than a pointless negative comment. Maybe think about that.

[@critoris7475]

I have moved to Germany in February 2021 and I have seen so many differences between Turkish people in Germany and in Turkey. I feel like Turkish people in Germany are a bit more conservative in terms of religion and "customs". I think this might be a reflex to the marginalisation by a totally different country, culture and religion. Additionally most majority of them had been sent to Germany from villages, where education levels were probably very low... I can also spot so many differences between New Wave Turks and Turks who have been born and raised in Germany. Really interesting...

[@henningbartels6245]

I think, this is a common phenomenon that people living in a diaspora tend to be more conserative - in a way to protect their culture brought from the homeland. Plus they are often missing out on modern developments and trends which accure in their homeland and get stuck in a sort of time capsule.

[@midgekiller2151]

Also I think that most of the Turks that migrated here in the first wave were basically all from the same region in Turkey which is more conservative than the average person in Turkey.

[@dweuromaxx]

These are excellent comments - thank you

[@barca8341]

Most of them are from central anatolia

[@GeneRauXxX]

Damn, spot on comments.

[@chandrasekarvenkataramani1843]

Wonderful and informative topic. Kudos. Would love to hear more about the diverse cultures in Germany and their historical connections !

[@RachelStewart04]

We're on the case :D

[@chandrasekarvenkataramani1843]

@@RachelStewart04 Amazing ! Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to your content and its amazing presentation always :)

[@YoungTthailand]

I was an exchange student in Esslingen am Neckar in 2008. Döner was one of my fav lunch. After coming back to Thailand, I could get along so well with other formers exchange students who were in Turkey. They were so surprised by how much I know about Turkish culture.

[@keshavgarg8611]

I'm a simple man. I see a "Meet The Germans" episode hosted by Rachel and I click like.

[@kinayataylor5455]

What I found interesting in this video is the food and the mix of Turkish and German culture within the food. I also enjoyed learning and hearing from Turkish workers about their experiences, because it really opened your eyes to what truly went on during that time period. It gave you a deeper dive and understanding of what Turkish people went through with their identity and life overall.

[@gunterbremm8300]

informative, entertaining, and very moving, thank you

[@liqiz1755]

Great if you like Turkey also, me too. For that We are lucky to have a large Turkish community here in Germany. Turkish-Germans or Turkish people has influenced a lot Germany for over 60 years. Döner Kebab or the many successful people with Turkish roots, BionTech founders Ugur Sahin or Özlem Türeci or football players like Özil, Gündogan, Emre Can etc. In the future also Deniz Undav, then successful show business people (more popular in German-speaking areas, not really in the US), like Singer Ayliva or Monrose Bahar Kizil or presenters like Nazan Eckes, Funda Vanroy or politicians like Cem Özdemir etc. Even Germanrap like Mero, Pashanim, Haftbefehl, Summer Cem etc.

[@Pepper98776]

go back to turkey

[@liqiz1755]

@@Pepper98776we are living here since 60s, we will never go back 😂🎉

[@ffll8427]

this type of journalism gives me hope that discourse is not dead quite yet

[@RachelStewart04]

Oh wow, glad to hear that!

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

It's pretty much dead. PC culture is very strong.

[@mucsalto8377]

@@ArmadilloGodzilla there is no >pc culture

[@altaykaan]

My grandfather was guestarbeiter/worker in German mines. But in the 80s with German incentives he came back to Turkiye again permanently. My mother born in Germany but she was 8 years old when they moved back. I raised up in Türkiye and i am an engineer but now i came back to Germany for my master degree and i am learning German language/culture. In the video, you have should mention about German founders of first vaccination of covid19 has Turkish roots (Uğur Şahin, Özlem Türeci).

[@RachelStewart04]

Ah yes good shout!

[@SchmulKrieger]

Why though? Because you will never be German.

[@Antaquelas]

@@SchmulKrieger Yes Germans have blond hair and blue eyes. Turks have black hair and brown eyes. Turks will never be Germans. Heil .. ?

[@SchmulKrieger]

@@Antaquelas what?

[@Antaquelas]

@@SchmulKrieger What what?

[@ruthlam8371]

Beautifully done! Thank you so much. Learned a lot!

[@RachelStewart04]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ranggaajibaskara1809]

Rachel Stewart always deliver a bit serious topic with ease. Kudos!

[@lovejihadspecialist]

I'm neither German nor Turkish but I am a man who - like these German Turks, grew up in Europe with both his feet in two different cultures. I can highly relate to many of the sentiments of these people and I empathise with their inner struggles for identity and acceptance. I am grateful to DW and the presenter, Rachel for offering a neutral and empathetic look into these individuals and this cultural phenomenon.

[@nickohira1397]

Turkey can relate to South east Europe and Asia

[@elifsu9308]

It is so interesting to see how the guest workers integrated their culture in Germany and they were able to make both cultures work. They didn't have to give up on their Turkish roots in order to assimilate but they brought their culture and made it both work. I also loved hearing from an actual guest worker and hear his perspective on the issue

[@digitaldhaval]

"Rachel Stewart" you're one of the best presenter I've come across . All of your videos are very informative and fun to watch.

[@salmamansurr]

I always try and find Turkish restaurants whenever I travel. I’m glad I got to experience a vital strand in Germanys history through the perspective of food. I remember growing up in my hometown there was a increased amount of Arab people moving into the town and in one decade I grew up with all the businesses of Arab cuisine that I knew at home and eventually in the streets I walked on afterwards. It is an important part of the footstep that people in generations before us leave in the history of our homes and lives. I like that I can relate so much to what happened in Turkey during this time. I wonder what it was like to start these businesses and whether or not it was liked initially or did it grow on Germans over time

[@20hkn23]

Very well explained! Danke schön :D

[@butenbremer1965]

That was an important topic to address, well done - 12 out of 10 points for that!!!!!

[@jillwheeler6207]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching, very interesting and very informative! Thank you.

[@dweuromaxx]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@yenimagana8160]

Do more videos like this one! It was great 😊

[@senolkural8436]

Rachel did a great job. I'm looking forward to the next videos

[@ishansharma1137]

I find it interesting how there were financial incentives to move back to Turkey but many families still decided to stay regardless. The perspective from the individual who came in the beginning and spoke his perspective from how it was like for him in Germany back then was really touching and eye opening. My question would actually be for him and I’d ask, if he could do anything or change anything about the way Germany treated him, what would be one thing? Because I get the conflicting identities you may encounter and struggle understanding or digesting where you’re from and be confused. An identity crisis would be the proper term. But truly great video and eye opening!

[@ozank7327]

Very well done! Such a lovely story-telling and so touching. You are constantly raising the bar with your content, Frau Rachel. Respect to you and your team.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you!

[@OmmerSyssel]

🤮🤮

[@MikeC_BE_2870]

6:27 The same happened within the Turkish community in my country Belgium. It's easy to be a Pro-Erdogan Turk living abroad, because there, Erdogan does not have a direct influence over your life.

[@gurcuball6193]

Well said👌. For them supprting Erdoğan is like supporting a football team.

[@arifalcon6775]

After having the chance to watch the video, I was able to completely relate to how people struggle with having more than one identity and not knowing which one they should choose to identify as. Another struggle would be feeling entirely left out and identifying a little more with one identity rather than the other. For example, in my case, it would be both Mexican and American. Although I was born in the United States, I was raised in a Mexican household and would be considered too “Mexican” to fit in with my “American” identity. Unfortunately, the cultures do not go together because with my “Mexican” side sometimes I get told I am “too American.”

[@jorrmolonze7172]

There is a culture for that, it’s called Chicano and there are millions of Americans that fall under that identity so you’re not alone

[@susansmith7831]

Thanks for such an important, interesting, informative report.

[@dksilber9500]

Wow - es findet sich auf KZbin auch Qualität. Das ist eine gute Nachricht. Was für ein toller Bericht. Vielen Dank dafür. 👌🏻

[@ibrahimbilge6567]

Great content, as always..

[@toomasvendelin]

Having Turks in Germany is certainly an asset for the country. At the very least, they set an example of how to treat a customer.

[@dweuromaxx]

Should we do a video on German customer service? 😁

[@chevlogs369]

@@dweuromaxx the lack of you mean?

[@toomasvendelin]

As one of my German friends told me once, there is no such thing as service in Germany.

[@bolinvolovan3060]

I love this series, it’s one of my favorites.

[@swapnilmalshe]

So informative! Nice video DW!

[@dweuromaxx]

Glad you think so!

[@pendragon2012]

Great video shining a light on an issue I remember reading about in college many years ago. Thanks for sharing!

[@joebarrera334]

Wie immer, noch eine fantastische Episode! LG aus den USA.

[@MrAlligator3]

A very interesting topic - thanks for posting!

[@romanxrs]

very thorough research and well done documentation! fun fact: 0:13 the journalist is eating out at Doy Doy Palast in Cologne, best kebab in the city imo

[@lesgibson969]

As a 25 years old Turkish who was born, raised and still lives in Turkey I think that most of the Turks in Germany haven't adapted to Germany and the society. Mostly, they've created a parallel society and they still live in that society. Turkish guest workers who immigrated in 60s and 70s, were the rural people of Turkey. Most of them, nowadays, still have that religious and conservative Turkish culture. They think that, in order to not get assimilated they have to protect and conserve their culture. As a political science student I have to state that, at the last general elections of Turkey which held in 2018, 74% of Turks who live in Germany voted for Erdoğan and his political party. In Turkey, elections are not only elections but also a counting of identities. Turkish people tend to vote according to their social identities. The fact that 74% of Turks who live in Germany voted for Erdoğan demonstrates that, the majority of them are still not adapted to Western/German norms, civilization and mindset. Voting for an Islamist such as Erdoğan is an unacceptable thing for me. As long as they do not adapt to German norms and society, the "Kulturkampf" will be going on.

[@walkwithdeath]

Thank you! You nailed it! In 2010, I hosted several Turkish Erasmus students in Portugal. For most of them, this was their first time abroad - I was a bit frustrated because they simply refused to learn anything about their host country. Most didnt even bother learning simple Portuguese phrases. They were also constantly comparing everything to Turkey, and seemed to think that everything in Turkey was better - every time we went out to eat, for example, we always went to a Turkish restaurant because Portuguese food "sucks". Mind you, these are not the agrarian migrants from the 50s/60s and 70s but young university students. I am currently living in France and the same thing that you mentioned also happened with the Algerians. As much as I enjoy living in a cosmopolitan city, I do think that us, foreigners, should respect and integrate ourselves, as best as we can, to our host culture.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you for your comment, Levent. Do you think this conservatism in diaspora groups is similar in other countries?

[@yinzheliu9220]

@@dweuromaxxI am Chinese. I lived in Madrid for 5 years before I came to Germany. From what I saw living in Madrid is that some Chinese just don't want to adopt themselves to the local socialty. But I think it is hard to change the mindset of a person if he/she has already spent years living in his/her original country.

[@shelbynamels973]

@@walkwithdeath And there I was thinking you were talking about British ex=pats in Benidorm.

[@user-jq6wf1xk5g]

@@walkwithdeath as a Portuguese living abroad, the concept of a multicultural society is a mostly a lie and an illusion. I am well integrated, however most people refuse to integrate because they are simply economic migrants and don’t care for the local culture or identity. If they had the chance they would return home in a heartbeat. Therefore, they just isolate themselves along with their fellow countrymen and live in a small colony.

[@argonkonay8905]

A visit to Germans living amongst Turks, German community in Alanya or expats in İstanbul may help everyone to comprehend the interaction of two cultures as well as what is being a kanaken or a yabanci.

[@burakkurt3027]

thank you, very-well explained

[@danibeeism]

i love the contents of this page😍 learning a lot about German (Aleman in Filipino) 😉

[@jamesharrison2374]

From my 16 years in Germany, I miss the Donner shops, and got along well with the neighbors from Turkey. You just need to have mutual respect and accept the differences.

[@andreicociug1775]

Really nice video. Thank you. I am not Turkish but nonetheless learning about the Turkish culture belongs together with other activities and steps one must take towards integrating in Germany. Has come under fire - Has been put under scrutiny / has been scrutinized

[@dweuromaxx]

Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@maximusaugustus6823]

I was born in Istanbul in 1961, the same year my family moved to Germany as one of the first migrant workers. We left Germany in 1975. When I moved to the United States in 1984.

[@Anne-id2zt]

Can you do a video about Roma and Sinti at some point? I love how you always manage to be on point and say everything important without being insulting.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I can always say bring your culture no matter where you come from. Yes it might be hard at first. You might have trouble adjusting to german culture, german language. But that doesn't mean you have to leave yours at the border. People tend to vary of things they don't know. "Was der Bauer nicht kennt, das frisst er nicht", but the best way to get past that is to learn about other cultures. And with every culture that joins we all only become richer. So bring your culture with you and show your culture to the people.

[@michaelbrown1627]

You should do a video on the large German culture in Turkey.

[@WAJK2030]

A great piece of journalism. Better than what we get from public TV in Germany in many cases (political bias instead of neutral journalism). Keep it up. Your team will win prices and go places this way. Thank you.

[@CeyhunBabashov]

Very nice video. Thanks a lot

[@Doping1234]

Addendum did a great piece (mind you, in Austria) about how people with turkish roots as a group are lacking behind in education and other metrics and also show a slower rate of improvement than other immigrant groups (like people from ex-Jugoslawia). I guess the issue is that people who came in the 70s were poor farmers from Anatolia who imprinted their very conservative identity onto the next generations who now suffer from that. That also explains why Erdogan support is so high in this group - his base of support is the more rural regions of turkey.

[@OmmerSyssel]

That reactionary position among Turks are documented in all Western European countries. DİTİB like organisations spying on fellow Turks were also registered in all Western European countries!

[@Doping1234]

@@OmmerSyssel and intimidate kurds

[@mustafakilic5393]

good analyze.

[@milagrosmarrero4408]

It is very interesting to learn about how the food in Germany is still influenced by Turkish culture. I probably ate something Turkish when I was there and didn't even know it! I would bet that the market for Turkish food boomed during the Guest Worker Program! It was also interesting to hear about the experiences of the Ford worker, as well as how a large company like Ford benefitted from the program. It would be shocking to many if there was a certain estimate of how many current residents of Germany have Turkish roots!

[@dweuromaxx]

We're glad you found the video interesting :)

[@turkishexpress]

It's nice that y'all can get together and share these feelings that we've all had growing up in a foreign country. Our generation didn't have social media yet so it felt much lonelier.

[@korinaviado3333]

Great topic!

[@serenmeltemyilmaz6477]

Hey, this channel and video was just suggested to me - so thank you KZbin algorithm (at least this time you did a good job 😄). Anyway, I want to thank you for this well researched content on people with Turkish roots in Germany. A lot of my friends that I met as an exchange student in the US didn’t know about the big Turkish communities in Germany and their influence on the German infrastructure. As someone with Kurdish origin from Turkey, I think it would have been more accurate to state that a lot of other backgrounds fall into the big umbrella that’s referred to as “Turkish”. It’s a major part of the identity crisis listed by many people in Germany that are all labelled as “Turkish”. When I, for instance, corrected Germans who referred to me as Turkish, they used to reply “They’re all the same” and this CAN be hurtful at times. Just a minor comment from my side. Other then that, the style of reporting was very touching. It actually made me cry watching it. Sending friendly regards from Flensburg! ☔️

[@DamionDavis-om9sr]

What I found interesting about the video is how things in Germany, like pizza sandwiches and even the honking after weddings, are very similar to how they are in the United States. It shows that no matter how different the cultures are in the different countries, there will always be some similarities between them. Another thing I found interesting was how Germany is home to the biggest Turkish population outside of the country, Turkey itself. This caught my attention because it translates back to the guest workers coming over. Germany allowing the guest workers to stay in Germany and bring their families helped Germany rebuild its population in the long run.

[@janbozman7753]

Similar to the experience that one of the Turkish girls had, my grandfather came to the United States from Germany in about 1912 as a 16-year old. He kept in good contact with his brothers and sisters in Germany and visited many, many times during his lifetime. He always said that in Germany, they called him the American, and in America, because of his accent, they called him a German. He didn't mind; he loved both countries.

[@shaghilbaqa]

Amazing video. It was quite Insightful into Turkish Culture and their life in Germany.

[@brendabasweti5909]

I find it interesting of how much the guest workers that assimilated from turkey to Germany have had such a big impact on Germany. In the video it showed popular Turkish pizza in Germany it almost mentioned how people who grew up in both cultures struggle with a cultural identity which is something I can heavily relate to, being born in Kenya but assimilating to America. Another point I found interesting is after the global oil crisis in 1973 guest workers were no longer needed. The German government even offered financial compensation for Turks to return back to their homeland but the majority of them made a major decision to stay and reside in Germany.

[@onawhim9079]

Its interesting to see the same difficulties with integration of cultures in Germany as we have in the UK. It seems to be as much about immigrants letting go of a lot of their culture and embracing their adopted countries, as it is the native population accepting them. It all gets a lot more difficult when there are religions involved. It's a shame it's such a problem, as we're all immigrants if you go back far enough.

[@shelbynamels973]

Immigrants from centuries ago are usually not an integration problem today.

[@theresabu3000]

Two of my grandparents came from Poland - fleeing the war or russian troops. And that's not that uncommon - people aus Tschechien, Polen, Russland... have flown the war. I sadly don't have any connection to Poland anymore and my grandparents integrated pretty well - they had to. I also have the advantage of not looking different, speaking fluently "High German". To be a gracious host to other newcomers to Germany - welcome and educate them. I think we would benefit both.

[@antoinetremblay4449]

The immigrant experience is endlessly fascinating... Lots of love and support to my Turkish-German brothers and sisters, from a Moroccan-Canadian 🙏🙏🙏🌍

[@CanBoranPuskulluoglu]

Your videos and topics are very good. We like it. Hi from Turkey 👋🏻

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you!

[@CoreYogaMeditation]

2022 greetings to you Rachel👋👋 Interesting, I did not know that the Turks have been navigating their lives in Germany under such uncomfortable circumstances, I knew that they did not have it easy there, but I did not expect it to be like this😔 However, I am glad that in spite of it all, their rich culture managed to weave itself into the German culture which makes Germany all the more interesting. Their food is exquisite too... Looking forward to more stellar reporting from you during the course of the year. Stay safe👍

[@Turbo-ic8lw]

Usually "meet the Germans" is really good. But this episode is in my opinion the best that was ever made. Thank you so much. I have to share it with my turkish (kurdish) friends. At least we are all Germans and have to stay together - some have Migrationshintergrund and some don't. But we all together make this country so great.

[@dweuromaxx]

@Turbo 78 Thanks and stay tuned!

[@OmmerSyssel]

Studying running statistics its pretty obvious what sort of contributions this reactionary minority is busy with...

[@karpuzye]

vielen dank

[@gamatogo]

Gutes Video!

[@yb32]

Thank you for making this video! It's nice to see Turkish people presented in a humane way in foreign media.

[@whitneynguyen3586]

As an outsider who doesn't know much about German and Turkish society and culture, I was a bit shocked to hear how they were treated and how they are still being treated. But thinking about it some more, I saw similarities in treatment as an Asian American in the United States. At the 5-minute mark, they talk about how they don't feel german in Germany and they don't feel Turkish in Turkey. I understand how they think in the sense that I don't feel American in the united states however I don't feel Asian enough in Asia. There's not really a place where I fit in.

[@mattcorso5802]

Rachel is an excellent presenter. Really enjoying her Germany videos.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you! 😃

[@jonmiguel]

Very interesting. In the states we don't think very much about the cultural barriers and difficulties in other countries. I especially never realized there was such a connection between Germany and Turkey.

[@dweuromaxx]

Glad we could inform :)

[@pebo8306]

It is just pretty much the same as Mexicans and US citizens! excpt;I was was shocked how brazenly Mexicans reject to adapt to their host country!

[@shelbynamels973]

@@pebo8306 We won't stop until Germany has an Hispanic Heritage Month!!

[@maikotter9945]

~ 40 000 Germans are living in Turkey! ~ 2 500 000 Turks are living in Germany! Arithemtical Difference: ~ 2 500 000 This numeral difference is hugh!

[@koiue.g8709]

@@pebo8306 what? What do you mean? Mexicans adapt to the US or what do you mean? the USA does not have a national culture anyway so whats does addapting means?

[@andir7374]

As someone who only grew up with German (Bavarian) culture, i can confidently say that Döner alongside with of course beer is one of the basic nutritions.

[@masfiqratul7559]

What about Sausages

[@LaureninGermany]

Cig köfte and Falafel Döner are something I could eat daily. My husband laughs because at the moment I am watching Turkish TV series (in Turkish with English subtitles), so he comes home to his British-German household to hear Turkish and find me eating Lokum. I highly recommend Magnificent Century and Ertugrul if you want to spend every waking moment you can completely addicted to these series with their absolutely phenomenal Turkish actors and actresses.

[@erkinalp]

@Buster Keaton Falafel is a Syriac food, not an Arab one.

[@RachelStewart04]

Nice, thanks for the series tips! :D

[@gurcuball6193]

Falafel is not Türkish.everyone in Turkey never even heard of its name. But yeah Çiğ köfte and Kebab is %100 Turkish.

[@LaureninGermany]

I really understand it’s annoying for you that I didn’t know. But I will say, they may not be Turkish food, but the nice Turkish man gets them especially for my husband, who he recognises and starts to make the Döner for, as soon as he walks through the door. So, if it’s not actually Turkish, I think the main thing is the friendliness with which he sells it to us. That’s what means a lot, along with the food being delicious along with the Turkish bread and other ingredients. The way he is including us and making us welcome. I want one now!

[@OmmerSyssel]

@@LaureninGermany ohh how romantic. I'm always lectured anecdotes aren't reliable sources ... How about local food, people and language, is that of equally interest?

[@MarquiseYoung-ib5is]

It's remarkable to me that despite the financial incentives to return to Turkey, many families chose to remain. It was quite moving and eye-opening to hear the person who arrived first and spoke from his viewpoint on what it was like for him in Germany at the time. Really, I'd like to ask him this question: If he could change anything about the way Germany treated him, what would it be? Because I understand the conflicting identities you may experience, the difficulty in comprehending or assimilating your origins, and your confusion. Overall I thought this was an amazing video that provided a lot of insight.

[@phaselisia1074]

As being Turkish myself, I'd like to add my take on this. It still breaks my heart to see the first generation Turks were so isolated, they weren't able to learn the language and integrate. They were suffering from homesick but they were not welcomed in this new home, too. This could have been prevented easily with proper integration courses and Deutschkurs. At the end, they remained very conservative whereas the Turkish people living in Turkey became more open minded. Nowadays, lots of young Turks moving to Europe for better life standards and they have been called as "New Wave Turks", the difference between those communities is worth to mention. New wave Turks manage to integrate even easier since they've been living in Turkey in a European lifestyle. But Turkey is a huge country and has very different type of lifestyles, which brings special beauty to it's people.

[@schwermetall666]

I find it great that you addressed this history of German society. The same chapter is also part of Austrian history, along with the situation of Austro-Turkish people today. I find it remarkable how separate the two communities still are today! Knowledge or empathy from "original" Austrians towards people with Turkish ancestry is rare and often superficial. So more often than not, records of this history are not taken; and the discourse and questions of identity change and morph, but are not satisfyingly resolved (or even explained!) on the level of greater society.

[@pebo8306]

Snowflake babbling!Real problem is,that 3rd/4rd gen turks have absolutely NO empathy for Austrian social norms!

[@hmvollbanane1259]

What is a bit missing, at least from my perception as a German, is the division within what we consider the Turkish community as there is a huge Kurdish portion within it which often clash with eachother, so it is not uncommon to come across demonstrations or fights between members of what is broadly categorized together by us as the Turkish population over conflicts that are happening in some other part of the world between other people that they are related to

[@dweuromaxx]

Interesting. Is this something you experienced/saw while growing up?

[@samadhibuddhasinghe4614]

Please make a video about german universities.. and how interantional students find apartments.. and about their qualifications... health.. travel... food.. etc......... waiting for this video 😍❤

[@dweuromaxx]

Certainly a big topic! We'll try our best :)

[@dweuromaxx]

@Samadhi Buddhasinghe There is already an episode about studying in Germany, check here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipKwiHyHYp1-e5o

[@dariandaniels1705]

As someone living in America, I was completely shocked to hear what is happening to Turkish people. As a young black man, I can relate to feeling "out of place" or being blatantly discriminated against. How can people from other countries do more to help people feel more heard? Why is the treatment of Turkish people so swept under the rug? I hope that Turkish people get the respect they deserve. I have noticed a pattern of immigrants traveling to land and working but still not being seen as a citizen, legally or socially. I truly believe that we should change that narrative.

[@celestialcolosseum]

Hey, sorry for the late reply but as a Turkish person i have a couple of explanations for the questions you asked. Turkish people are in a weird spot, we are partly in Europe and partly in Asia (aka middle east) so we were never really accepted and had strong relations with both sides, Europeans sees us as muslims or in other words "different people" so they can't really relate to us i assume. Just like it was demonstrated in the latest Ukraine-Russia situation, even the news reporters in the US and Europe say "these people in Ukraine are everyday, normal (white) people like us, not like other refugees (middle eastern)" i found that appaling, how can people dehumanize others this easily and lack empathy to this extent ? In our culture, hospitality is the norm and discrimination is a no-no, apparently it's not that uncommon in other countries to say "this people, and that people" and basically create hostility and negativity for no reason at all. This kind of mentality should not exist at all. This is not bragging/flexing but i just wanna say the reason why people who come to Turkey and other middle eastern countries and say the people are unanturally kind here is because of the different social norms, some cultures tend to have more self or just family oriented mindset, but here even if you don't have anything you gotta share and act respectful, that's the thing you are taught and see/learn from others. I hope this gives an insight to our culture and the differences (from my point of understanding of course), maybe i'm wrong and maybe i only had negative interactions with people from said countries but someone has to tell the truth. Life is already short enough, no need to make a fuss about differences and discriminate against people from a different background. Peace.

[@JohnDoe-qm8ns]

​@@celestialcolosseum Asian along the line of Central Asian, not Middle Eastern.

[@kc8923]

Excellent balanced and considered piece. The scandal of the NSU attacks and the apparent complacency or even complicity of the German security forces has never been fully resolved as far as I'm aware.

[@saldeandrea2250]

I found it quite cool that Germany holds such a large population of Turkish individuals. Obviously, this is due to the fact that not only workers came over, but eventually their families did too. I found it neat that even with the financial payment made available to Turks to move back to their country after the Germany economy fell, many decided to stay. This is why we can see the culture that we find in Germany today with an influence from these individuals.

[@Blaarkable]

What Matit said, wow! I'm from a town in Germany where there is a fairly big town district which acts mostly as a kind of Ghetto of Turkish, Russian or Slavic people, therefore there are a lot of Turkish people in our town and I've met a few. They told me about their very difficult living standards and how out of contact a lot of them are with their Turkish culture. But what Matit said gives this whole thing a very different and much more problematic sense of scale. Great journalism and great video!

[@dweuromaxx]

Thanks @TerraNovatius !

[@helge.]

Danke!

[@noahbarr8345]

I found the food really interesting. A lot of the Turkish foods and the tea look really good. I also wonder if there are any mixes of Turkish and German cuisine or adjustment for German tastes, like there are with a lot of foreign foods here in the US. It is mentioned that it is at least thought that one of the more common forms of döner kebab was invented or popularized in Germany. I also found the interviews with Turkish-Germans about their experience with growing up between the two cultures. It might not be quite an equivalent experience, but that part of the video spoke a lot to me with my recent experience and thoughts on gender identity.

[@Thiesi]

What I can say for me is my exposure to _Döner_ from early childhood on (I grew up in Berlin where _Döner_ was popular already back in the 80s) made garlic and onions two of my favorite ingredients when cooking these days. In fact, just last week I had a _Schnitzel_ with nothing on it but raw red onions - and I loved it.

[@g.sofiarodriguez4873]

Really good piece! Also, when I was an exchange student in europe and was visiting friends in germany, they have the advice: best food to eat in germany, is turkish food

[@pebo8306]

It's a shame,you missed "Currywurst"!!!LOL🤣😂🤣

[@koalasevmeyenkola9105]

Really cool subject.

[@cem2503]

Very important topic!

[@r.j.5089]

„Ich fühle mich reich dadurch“ einer der schönsten Sätze aber was die netten jüngeren Damen gesagt haben war sehr interessant. Vielen Dank an alle die mit gemacht haben und ihre Eindrücke erzählt haben - ich weis in Deutschland haben so viele , vieles erlebt. Mein Opa war Kroate und kam damals mit 28 Jahren nach Deutschland. Menschen erkennen wenn man nicht bei ihnen groß wird. Ich war oft in Kroatien und war da immer die aus Deutschland. Damit ging dann auch automatisch bessere Lebensqualität und Standard hervor. Was ich nicht verstanden habe als Kind. Heute weis ich wieso. Gezeichnet vom Krieg und der Entscheidung 40. Jahre oder länger seine Heimat zu verlassen. Mein Opa hatte sich am Ende entschieden 2019 in der Heimat zu sterben. Ich bin darüber sehr traurig gewesen - aber konnte es verstehen. Ich weis das unsere Wege uns alle verbinden und auch wieder trennen. Ich wünsche jedem das Beste.

[@Harroun-tq8zh]

Hallo😊

[@painglwinaungorgan8716]

I very like your channel/ Eromax.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you! 😍

[@TaylorReilly-bp1xb]

I enjoyed learning more about food and things that are specific to German or Turkish culture. Although sad, it was interesting to hear that the Turkish guest workers were isolated and not a part of typical German neighborhoods. The story shared about showing a Turkish film was very sad but yet an insight into how exactly they were living. He goes on to say “they wanted workers, not people”. This made me very sad because of how accurate it truly was. The Germans did not want to befriend them or naked them feel at home, rather just help with work.