Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
January 2016
Student ID (Free University of Berlin) from 1962
| Material | Paper |
| Dimensions | 11.5 cm x 8 cm x 16 cm (open) |
| Donation | Hasan Barlas Foçali |
Historical Context
Selected students were sent to Germany as early as during the Ottoman Empire (1876 – 1923). After the Second World War, the political, economic, and cultural relations between Germany and Turkey experienced a resurgence. In the 1950s, interest among young Turks in pursuing an academic education in the Federal Republic of Germany increased. The number of Turkish students at German universities and technical colleges rose from 405 to 1,365 between 1954 and 1962. Many of them came to Germany with the help of a scholarship from their government. The fields of construction, mechanical engineering, and architecture were particularly popular.
Short Biography
Hasan Barlas Foçali was born on June 6, 1939, in the Turkish city of Ayancık. In 1946, the family moved from the Black Sea region to the metropolis of Istanbul. At his father’s request, Hasan Foçali went to Germany to study after completing his high school diploma. In June 1961, just weeks before the Berlin Wall was erected, he arrived in Berlin. He intended to study medicine or engineering but initially interned at Siemens, where he took care of the interests of the first Turkish ‘guest workers’ at the company as a home manager and translator. In the summer semester of 1962, Hasan Foçali finally began his dental studies at the Free University of Berlin. In 1965, he returned to Turkey for personal reasons. He completed his studies at Istanbul University in 1970. Hasan Foçali served as a dental reserve officer in the military. One evening in Istanbul, he met his current German wife, Ilona, who was vacationing in Turkey with her family, which led to his return to Germany in November 1971. The following year, they married and had three children. Until his retirement in 2008, Hasan Foçali worked first in Berlin and later in Lippstadt as a dentist.
Significance of the Object
The biography of Hasan Barlas Foçali illustrates that Turkish immigration cannot be reduced solely to the so-called ‘guest worker migration’ starting in 1961. Even before and after the German-Turkish recruitment agreement, Turks went to Germany not only to work but also to study. However, because of their significantly lower numbers, these individuals were often perceived as ‘guest workers.’ The student ID is thus an important document of Turkish educational migration to Germany.
Do You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de