“Two sides of the same coin”

THE GENERAL CONSULATE OF TURKEY FOUND NUMEROUS COMMONALITIES IN THE EXPERIENCES OF GERMAN AND TURKISH EMIGRANTS DURING HER VISIT TO THE GERMAN EMIGRATION HOUSE

During the joint tour of General Consul Gül Özge Kaya with Museum Director Dr. Simone Blaschka on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, reasons for leaving one’s homeland, the importance of language skills, and the handling of mementos were discussed. 

The General Consul of the Republic of Turkey, Gül Özge Kaya (right), was shown the permanent exhibition on 300 years of German immigration and emigration by Museum Director Dr. Simone Blaschka.

»The experiences of German emigrants in the USA and Turkish immigrants in Germany are in many ways like two sides of the same coin«, noted Gül Özge Kaya during her visit. »Keeping these memories alive, as the German Emigration House does, is very important for mutual understanding.« During her visit, the General Consul, who has been responsible for Bremen, Lower Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt since 2020, had an active exchange with the Director of the German Emigration House, Dr. Simone Blaschka. The migration historian pointed to the diverse connections between Germany and Turkey throughout history: »Both countries share numerous life stories of people who have migrated from one country to another and not infrequently returned. It is a great concern for us to highlight their experiences and impacts on the cultures of both countries.« The German Emigration House presents mementos, photographs, and interviews from various German-Turkish biographies from the last century.