Migration in Germany

Topic: Migration in Germany

Jews and Muslims attending a Salaam-Shalom initiative event in a mosque (photo: William Noah Glucroft)

The Salaam-Shalom Initiative

Breaking down artificial walls

A year after its launch, the Salaam-Shalom Initiative has become one of the biggest intercultural groups in Berlin with dozens of events in mosques, synagogues and community centres. Armin Langer looks back on an eventful yearMore

Resistance to Pegida: "Intolerance must not be tolerated"Website of the Salaam-Shalom Initiative (mainly German)The perception of Islam as the enemy: When fear creeps in Israeli–Palestinian dialogue in Germany: It is possible to work together Muslims in Germany: Blocked integration Interview with Benjamin Stora: The history of relations between Jews and Muslims

Supporters of the Pegida movement demonstrating in Dresden on 22 December 2014 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/Kay Nietfeld)

The psychology of Pegida

The craving for an enemy

There are hardly any Muslims in the German state of Saxony. But this is precisely what makes it possible for people there to create an image of Islam as the enemy. The Pegida movement is marching out of fear of something that exists in their imagination. An essay by Byung-Chul HanMore

The sudden rise of Germany's Islamophobic Pegida movement: "The product of a nervous society"Immigration and the new class divide: Feeding on people's grievances Resistance to Pegida: "Intolerance must not be tolerated"The perception of Islam as the enemy: When fear creeps in

A Muslim man in a Hamburg mosque (photo: Axel Heimken/dpa)

Study on attitudes in "Post-migrant Germany"

Do you love Germany?

A new study entitled "Post-migrant Germany" set out to investigate attitudes on national identity in Germany. According to the results, these attitudes are ambivalent: people in Germany are open-minded, yet many in mainstream society have major reservations with respect to Muslim immigrants. By Claudia MendeMore

Study on attitudes in "Post-migrant Germany" (German only)Immigration and the new class divide: Feeding on people's grievances The perception of Islam as the enemy: When fear creeps in The sudden rise of Germany's Islamophobic Pegida movement: "The product of a nervous society"Interview with the sociologist of religion Detlef Pollack: "Germans are much less tolerant"

Geert Wilders in front of a sign that says "Access forbidden" (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Immigration and the new class divide

Feeding on people's grievances

In this essay, Ian Buruma explores what it is that American Tea Party enthusiasts, Russian chauvinists, right-wing populist Dutch and Danes, and Singaporean leftists have in common and why this common ground is driving anti-immigrant sentiment around the worldMore

The sudden rise of Germany's Islamophobic Pegida movement: "The product of a nervous society"The perception of Islam as the enemy: When fear creeps in John R. Bowen's ''Blaming Islam'': Deconstructing populism Muslims in liberal democracies: Why the West fears Islam

Supporters of the Pegida movement demonstrating in Dresden (photo: Matthias Hieckel/dpa)

The sudden rise of Germany's Islamophobic Pegida movement

"The product of a nervous society"

In the past week, there have been a number of well-attended marches against the "Islamisation of the West" in German cities. These marches were organised by supporters of Pegida (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West). Why has the Pegida movement in Germany grown so much so fast? In this interview with Dennis Stute, sociologist Oliver Nachtwey says that political parties are a key factor and warns against the wrong knee-jerk responseMore

Interview with the sociologist of religion Detlef Pollack: "Germans are much less tolerant"Contrasting images of Islam: The last gasp of archaic masculinity?Muslims in Germany: Blocked integration Book review: Klaus J. Bade on Thilo Sarrazin: Forget Sarrazin!Hamed Abdel-Samad's controversial theories on Islam: Caution! Explicit Content!

A Syrian family sitting outside a home for asylum seekers run by the Central Authority for Foreign Residents in the German state of Brandenburg (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

Book review: Stefan Buchen on Syrian "escape helpers"

Germany's new public enemies?

Germany is proud of its culture of democracy and the rule of law. But how proud should it be of the way it treats those who help Syrian refugees threatened by starvation and mass murder at home to enter the country? In 2013 and 2014, several German-based Syrians have been tried in court for helping their compatriots to flee to Europe. Stefan Buchen has written a book about the matter. By Martina SabraMore

Interview with the political scientist Abdel Mottaleb El-Husseini: Lebanon: "A mixture of vacuum and volcano"Syrian refugee children: A lost generation in the making Escaping the Civil War in Syria: Humanity amid the Horror

Young Muslim pupils in Berlin (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

Young Muslims in Germany

Forget, but don't forget

If young Muslims are to enjoy equal status within German society, a number of key changes are necessary in terms of language, discourse and policy. These changes can only be effected by the majority society working together with Muslim citizens. By Melahat KisiMore

Integration in Germany: Time for Majority Society to Change Its Attitude The new face of the nightly news: Pinar Atalay: Not just the token migrant Young Islam Conference: Interface between politics and society Integration in Germany: Finally growing up

Pinar Atalay (photo: dpa/Thorsten Jander)

The new face of the nightly news: Pinar Atalay

Not just the token migrant

On 7 March 2014, Pinar Atalay hosted the ARD's nightly news programme "Tagesthemen" for the first time. This was a first in Germany because Atalay was born in Germany to Turkish parents. Together with Dunja Hayali, Pinar Atalay is one of the most experienced presenters with a "migrant background" on German television. By Shohreh KarimianMore

Muslim Bloggers in Germany: Creating a Counter-public to Traditional Media Germany's New Minister for Migration: Aydan Özoguz, a Turkish-German at the Top The ''New German Media Makers'' Initiative: Seeking Greater Diversity in German Media

Portrait of the Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey with his daughter Nazli (photo: Cretanforever)

Turkish art in Germany

A reading Arab pulls in the crowds

His paintings fetch record sums in Turkey. Now the works of Osman Hamdi Bey are pulling in the crowds at Berlin's Alte Nationalgalerie, much to the delight of its young director. By Julia VossMore

The Turkish Art Scene: "Offside, But a Goal!"Culture in Turkey before and after Gezi: The end of Cool Istanbul The Istanbul Biennial: A Missed Opportunity for Art Interview with Elif Shafak: "In Turkey, a Novel Is a Public Statement"

Protesters at a demonstration in Hamburg walk behind a very large banner that reads "NO to racism in politics, everyday life and institutions. ENOUGH killing, silence, tolerance, cover-ups" (photo: dpa)

Racism in Germany

Time to talk about racism

Until such time as there is an open debate about racism, the debate about integration in Germany will not more forward. After all, as Aladin El-Mafaalani explains, integration and racism are two key elements of a discourse on participation that a country of immigration has to addressMore

Right-wing Extremism and Islamophobia in Germany: Sending out a Political Signal Criticism of Islam in Germany: Irrational Demonization Thilo Sarrazin and Muslim Migrants in Germany: Rejection of Parlour Racism Interview with Kay Sokolowsky: Racism Dressed Up As Criticism of Islam

Teacher and pupils in a Turkish class (photo: Andrea Groß)

The Turkish language in Germany

Turkish is booming at schools and universities

An increasing number of young people in Germany are taking Turkish at school. The German–Turkish Year of Science hopes to further boost this trend. At present, only native speakers can take the subject at schools, but this is about to change. By Andrea GroßMore

Multicultural classrooms: An opportunity not a problem UNART theatre project: Integration is about more than just learning German Young Islam Conference: Interface between politics and society

Amy Chua (photo: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images)

Book review: Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld on immigrant culture

Attack of the power migrants

Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld pledge to lift the lid on the cultural secrets of success of certain immigrant groups in the US. According to Daniel Bax, their book is nothing more than an exercise in cod folk psychologyMore

Book review: Klaus J. Bade on Thilo Sarrazin: Forget Sarrazin!Germany's New Minister for Migration: Aydan Özoguz, a Turkish-German at the Top Interview with Doug Saunders: ''Muslim Infiltration Is a Myth''

Road sign that reads "Welcome to Germany" (photo: Becky Stares/Fotolia.com)

Attitudes to immigration in Germany

Clear differences of opinion

What do people in Germany really think about immigration? A recent study by the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) shows that there are definite differences of opinion between the country's elite and the general public. Shohreh Karimian discussed the findings with Marc Helbling, one of the authors of the studyMore

Céline Teney and Marc Helbling's study (German only) "Decision-makers in Germany: values and attitudes" (German only)Integration in Germany: Finally growing up Multicultural classrooms: An opportunity not a problem

Young Islam Conference

Interface between politics and society

The Young Islam Conference sees itself as both a forum for dialogue and a mouthpiece for young Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It seeks to counter prejudice and negative ideas about Islam in Germany. Shohreh Karimian spoke to Esra Küçük, the managing director of the Young Islam Conference, about the forum's background and aimsMore

Website of the Young Islam Conference (German only)Interview with Naika Foroutan on Germany's Islam Conference: Encouraging developments The Avicenna scholarship programme: Fostering talented, socially committed Muslim students Qantara dossier: Integration in Germany

A teacher and pupils in a German classroom (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Teachers with a migrant background

More or less open racism

They are desperately sought after and yet they still face discrimination: teachers with a migrant background are often regarded as "exotic" at German schools. According to a recent study, all that many of these teachers want is normality. By Anke-Martina WittMore

Multicultural classrooms: An opportunity not a problem Integration in Germany: Finally growing up Health and immigration in Germany: Language barriers to psychotherapy for immigrants

Turkish pupils in a German classroom (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

Multicultural classrooms

An opportunity not a problem

It is increasingly the case that students from different nations, cultures and religions sit together in the same classroom. Experts at the University of Hildesheim in Germany are considering how teachers worldwide can better prepare themselves for this kind of diversity. Anke Martina Witt takes a look at how this issue is adressed in Germany, Canada, Norway and TurkeyMore

Integration in Germany: Finally growing up The Avicenna scholarship programme: Fostering talented, socially committed Muslim students Qantara dossier: Education