Work permit, 1969
In a newspaper, Serdar Bozkurt learns in 1962 in Turkey that the German company Mannesmann is looking for auto mechanics. Against his father’s wishes, the 20-year-old applies and soon receives a work permit for the Federal Republic of Germany. Originally, Serdar Bozkurt only plans to stay in Germany for three years, but then he meets his future wife, Jutta. The two marry in 1965 and have two sons. Despite this marriage, which grants him a permanent residence permit, Serdar Bozkurt must repeatedly renew his work permit in the 1960s. The document thus reflects the long-standing perception of Turks as guests who are expected to return home after work. However, Serdar Bozkurt stays and does not get discouraged. In the early 1970s, he works as an interpreter at the German Employment Agency in Istanbul to recruit more “guest workers” for Mannesmann. In Duisburg, the couple works towards the integration of Turkish “guest workers” and their families. On the initiative of Serdar Bozkurt, the first foreign council is established there in 1975. In September 2015, Serdar Bozkurt is awarded the Federal Cross of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia for his commitment.
