TURKISH-GERMAN LITERATURE: TRANSNATIONAL

VOICES AND THE QUEST FOR SOCIO-POLITICAL

AGENCY
An Evaluation of Works by Emine Sevgi zdamar and Feridun Zaimolu

Andrew McGowan Tuttle

Honors Thesis
The Department of German, Slavic, and Romance Languages
The George Washington University
Professor Mary Beth Stein
Fall 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: Turkish-German Literature and the Search for Agency and Identity.1
Globalization and Its Multicultural Implications..1
The Turkish-German Cultural Dynamic...3
Turkish-German Literature Contemplating on Globalization..3
Chapter I: The History of Turks in Germany.6
Gastarbeiter.6
Immigrant Politics in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s...8
A History of Marginalization11
Chapter II: Development of Turkish-German Literature....14
Turkish-German Literature: Gastarbeiterliteratur, Betroffenheitsliteratur,
Migrantenliteratur.........................................................................................................................14
Turkish-German Literature as Ethnic-Minority Literature17
The German Cultural Tradition: Does Turkish-German Literature Belong?....19
Chapter III: Emine Sevgi zdamar....21
Biographical Overview..21
Mutterzunge...................................................................................................................................23
Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn...................................................................................................31
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................36
Chapter IV: Ferdiun Zaimolu...38
Biographical Overview..38
Liebesmale, Scharlachrot..40
German Amok....46
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................50
Chapter V: Conclusion.53
A Look To The Future of Turkish-German Literature53
Works Cited..57

Introduction: Turkish-German Literature and the Search for Agency and

Identity
Globalization and Its Multicultural Implications
The study of literature has long been categorized along lines of national origin and
language. Historically, these demarcations have been used to create canons of national literature
thought to be coterminous with countries of origin. In the age of globalization, however, the once
more clearly defined boundaries of nation-states, national citizens, and national cultures have
been blurred. The interconnectivity of people across the globe, through travel, communication,
and migration has created diverse multicultural and transnational societies. Accordingly, new
arenas of literature have developed, which embrace the cultural hybridity of the migrant/minority
experience and use new voices, which speak to the struggles of migration, otherness,
marginilization, the desire to belong, the nuances of multicultural identities, and the effort to
establish agency and legitimization.
While each migrant/minority/transnational experience is unique, a number of common
elements can be identified among works within ethnic-minority literature, whether it be
Mexican-American, Afro-French or Turkish-German, to name a few. Yiorgos D. Kalogeras,
professor of American Ethnic and Minority Literature, identifies some of these underpinnings of
ethnic literature in his work Historical Representation and the Cultural Legitimation of the
Subject in Ethnic Personal Narratives. Kalogeras writes,
What is primarily at stake in immigrant and ethnic personal narratives, because of the
subjects non-natural position within the hegemonic culture, is the issue of the texts
and subjects ideological legitimation and consequent empowerment. The
narrativization of ones ethnic history, to the extent that it reflects on ones life story, is
not simply an act of establishing roots, an act of filiopietism attesting proudly to ones

difference. It can be read as an act contributing to the empowerment of the subject and of
the text.1
At the core of his evaluation of ethnic literature, Kalogeras outlines the struggle of immigrants
and minorities for legitimacy within a new adopted culture. Immigrant and minority groups share
histories of discrimination, marginalization, and isolation. Their political voices are muted by
their outsider or non-natural status, and their social and economic opportunities for
advancement are limited by language barriers and intolerance. These realities are underscored by
a limited sense of belonging to the host country and struggles with new mixed cultural identities.
Through literature, however, socio-political participation and cultural agency become available
to those who seek greater acknowledgment and empowerment in their adopted land. Literature
thus becomes a vital platform from which to substantiate ones transnational identity.
While the authors ownership over their ethnic origins is inferred by their minority status,
these groups are historically marginalized from their adopted societies. By exercising a
knowledge and mastery of the host language, narrating or discussing ones ethnic history, and
showcasing ones ability to navigate contemporary social and political topics through the
medium of writing, the author legitimizes himself as a political and cultural agent within his
adopted country. Therefore, by establishing themselves as political and cultural agents of both
their original and adopted heritage, these authors create a legitimized transnational identity,
which straddles two cultures effectively. Again, as Kalogeras posits, the implications behind
ethnic and immigrant narratives (works by ethnic minority authors) are rooted in efforts to find
empowerment in a marginalizing society.

Kalogeras, Yiorgos D. Historical Representation and the Cultural Legitimation of the Subject
Personal Narratives. College Literature. 18 (1991).

in Ethnic

The Turkish-German Cultural Dynamic

In recent decades, Turkish citizens have made-up Germanys largest ethnic minority. The
presence of Turks in Germany has its roots in the guest worker programs in the Federal Republic
of Germany during its periods of vast economic growth in the 1950s and 1960s. Among many
other European nationals, Turkish citizens were contracted to meet short-term labor demands,
and were not encouraged to remain in Germany. The following chapters will provide more indepth discussion of the Turkish-German tradition, however, it is pertinent to iterate that Turks
were offered little administrative support and resources in Germany, and were never exposed to
organized integration programs or even basic language courses. They were subjected to
extremely poor working and living conditions, experienced severe discrimination and isolation,
and had little social opportunity or political voice. However, regardless of these social and
personal hardships, the economic opportunities in Germany proved more promising to many
Turks than the realities of the repressive autocratic rule in Turkey in the 1960s and 1970s. In
short, underscored by a troubled and marginalized history, the Turkish-German tradition has
been riddled with discrimination. These rocky beginnings set the stage for the development of a
unique cultural dynamic among Turkish-Germans, struggling with issues of identity, belonging,
and adaptation.
Turkish-German Literature Contemplating on Globalization
As Kalogeras describes above, the core of ethnic-minority literature is also rooted in the
authors understanding and empowerment of his identity, especially within the joint context of
his ethnic history and his non-natural position in his current surroundings. In other words,
ethnic minority writers are seeking to understand and give expression to their multiple identities,
to find belonging, and to legitimize their social and political voice within the hegemonic host

state. Feridun Zaimolu and Emine Sevgi zdamar are two prime examples of authors of
Turkish-German background whose works require such a socio-political reading. Their works
reflect the transforming agency of Turkish-German citizens and their desire to be acknowledged
as active contributors to contemporary German culture and society. Feridun Zaimolu
immigrated as an infant and spent his entire life growing up in Germany. Emine Sevgi zdamar,
on the other hand, first came to Germany for a period of two years as a teenage guest worker,
only to return years later to reside permanently. I have chosen to analyze the works of these two
authors for a number of reasons. They represent two distinctly different immigrant experiences in
Germany, different literary styles, and different gender perspectives. However, when viewed
through a socio-political lens, the literature of Zaimolu and zdamar, while very different in
style and narrative technique, share a common contemporary viewpoint and critical position vis-vis the continued social and political intolerance directed towards Turkish-Germans in
Germany. The common thread, which ties these texts together, is their nature as contemplations
on a changing German society and cultural make-up in the age of globalization.2
In zdamars and Zaimolus works, I will examine how their unique use of language,
selective appropriation and rejection of traditional German literary style and structure, the use of
settings and locations, thematic choices, and historical parallels, validate a transnational identity
of Turkish-Germans. They seek to substantiate and legitimize the socio-political voice of
Turkish-Germans in a Germany that is trying to grasp the realities of globalization and the
multicultural society it has had a hand in creating. Authors like zdamar and Zaimolu
contribute to the transformation of Germanys traditional literary canon, by altering uniform
conceptions of German literature, and changing misinformed expectations of Turkish-German

Gerstenberger, Katharina. Writing by ethnic minorities in the age of globalisation. German Literature in the age
of globalisation. Ed. Stuart Taberner. Birmingham, 2004.

citizens. They achieve this through the presentation of their own contemporary multicultural and
transnational visions and viewpoints.

Chapter I: The History of Turks in Germany

Gastarbeiter
Following the end of World War II, Germany experienced a period of radical political
change, mass internal and external migration, and a series of extreme social and economic
dislocations that would drastically change the countrys make-up. The Potsdam Agreement of
1945 determined that Germany would be divided into the Soviet-occupied German Democratic
Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), occupied by the three western Allies.
Although divided, all of Germany was faced with the task of confronting a past riddled with war
and destruction. Reconciling that past with a weakened and dispirited status in a changing world
order was no small task. However, following this time of chaos and reorganization, a prevailing
period of economic expansion emerged in the Federal Republic of Germany during the 1950s
and 60s known as the Wirtschaftswunder (economic wonder).
Postwar Germany lacked the necessary male work force to meet its growing economic
demands as a result of the high level of German casualties during the war. While the German
Democratic Republic experienced an unprecedented influx of women into the work force, the
Federal Republic of Germany propagated a return to traditional family values (women were
expected to stay in the home) and began to look outside its borders for alternative labor options.
Treaties were negotiated with southern European/Mediterranean countries to grant temporary
work visas. These workers were given the title of Gastarbeiter (guest worker) and were expected
to fulfill a contractual working arrangement of roughly two to three years, after which they were
expected to return to their native countries. This was known as the Rotationsprinzip (principle of
rotation). Agreements were subsequently drawn up between the FRG and a number of European
nations, including, among others, Italy, Portugal, the former Yugoslavia, Greece, Spain, and

finally Turkey. The first contract was signed by the FRG and Italy in December of 1955. In July
of 1954, guest workers made up 0.4 percent of the German workforce. As more contracts began
to be signed and ratified, the influx of foreign employees increased dramatically in the late 1950s
and especially after 1960. In 1960, 1.5 percent of the workforce were guest workers, and by
September 1971 that number had risen to10.3 percent. Turkish-German Gastarbeiter contracts
were first signed in 1961. These agreements marked the last of the Gastarbeiter contracts to be
signed by the FRG, yet this group would prove to have the most momentous and lasting effects
on the future make-up of the country.
Although guest workers were seen as temporary labor, a number of factors differentiated
the Turkish guest worker experience in Germany from their European counterparts. The 1960s
marked the fall of a number of political dictatorships in countries such as Greece, Portugal, and
Spain, as well as a time of ever-growing European integration. Workers from these countries
thus had greater economic incentive and political desire to return and participate in their newly
formed democratic governments. Additionally, their membership in the European Community
allowed more accessible travel to and from Germany. Accordingly, fewer guest workers from
these groups decided to stay in Germany. Turkey, on the other hand, continued to be dominated
politically by a repressive military dictatorship, and, in addition, occupied a marginalized
geographical status with disputed European/Asian/Near-Eastern boundaries.
In the mid 1960s the original rotation model came under criticism by German employers
who wished to save the training costs associated with the frequent cycling of new guest workers.
New laws implemented after 1964 eliminated the rotation requirements altogether and also
allowed guest workers to bring family members with them and/or send for them later. Remaining
in Germany became an attractive prospect for many Turks who saw the country as providing

promising economic opportunities. Many brought family members from Turkey, who established
their own families in Germany (2nd generation immigrant children).
By the beginning of the 1970s hundreds of thousands of Turkish guest workers were in
Germany, a number, which would continue to grow as family members followed. With the oil
crisis of the early 1970s, Germanys period of economic growth came to an abrupt stop. The
Anwerbestopp (contracting halt) of 1973 was intended to reduce the presence of foreigners in
Germany. This immigrant presence and the issues of addressing their integration were often
referred to, politically, as the Auslnderfrage (the foreigner question). German political figures
during the 1970s began to see more vividly, the growing implications behind the ever-rising
population of foreigners in Germanys cities and workforce. They were less interested in
developing widespread and expensive integration programs for these groups, and instead hoped
to assuage the socio-political and economic obligations of answering this immigrant question
altogether by preventing any further influx of foreign workers. However, while the
Anwerbestropp marked the end of the guest worker program, it did not end Turkish migration to
Germany.
Immigrant Politics in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s
In the following decades, the number of foreigners in Germany continued to grow, in
some cases at higher rates than during the contracting periods. The political climate in Germany
in the late 1970s and 1980s was dominated by efforts to promote the return of immigrants
(especially those of Turkish heritage) to their respective homelands. Integration efforts remained
limited and above all else, promoted a re-assimilation into the Turkish culture. Ulrich Herbert
refers in his book, Geschichte der Auslnderpolitik in Deutschland, to this effort as Integration
auf Wiederruf (call-back integration) and writes Die Kinder sollten in das deutsche Schulsystem

integriert werden, anderseits aber den Kontakt zur Kultur der Heimat ihrer Eltern nicht verlieren,
um die Rckkehroption offen zu halten.3 Many significant political sentiments of the time are
reflected vividly in this quotation. While some opportunities for integration were supported, the
greater objective was to keep the option open, that Turks would return to their homeland. In
accordance with wide-spread German political sentiments, Chancellor Helmut Kohls political
agenda included limitation of further entry of foreigners to the Federal Republic of Germany,
reduction of the amount of foreigners already in Germany, avoidance of the naturalization
process, promotion of the continued association with the Turkish culture, and a limited and basic
Eingliederung (assimilation), not Integration (integration) of Germanys current immigrant
population.4
In this instance it is important to provide detail into the semantic and inherent difference
between these two approaches to immigration politics. From a sociological perspective,
integration and assimilation are often used interchangeably. Integration, however, suggests a
particular sociological process, which includes redefining and regenerating social and cultural
structures through processes that sustainably alter behavior and consciousness.
The goal of any type of integration is the development of new social structures and
social orders. It is not limited to a pure assimilation to an already existing whole, instead
it involves the combinational creation of a new whole through the introduction and
incorporation of the values and cultural nuances of the entering group in the new society,
essentially maintaining ones own identity.
The integration of foreigners is, therefore, not only an effort of the immigrant group, but also of
the receiving population. Successful integration would result in the creation of a new type of
culture, which allows for both groups to harmonize while maintaining their respective identities
and histories. Eingliederung, on the other hand, requires the individual to adapt to an already
3
4

Herbert, Ulrich. Geschichte der Auslnderpolitik in Deutschland. C.H. Beck. Mnchen, 2001. 238
Herbert 144

existing system. This means rejecting that groups otherness in hopes of encouraging adherence
to the already existing norm; in this case, adherence to the established German lifestyle and
culture.
Helmut Birkenfeld gives insight into the nuances of this critical immigration status in the
Federal Republic of Germany during the 70s and 80s and an essential question circumnavigating
the situation:
Die trkischen Kinder und Jugendlichen, die hier sprachlich und kulturell entfremdet
leben, sind als Pendler zwischen zwei Kulturkreisen anzusehen... Auf diesem Hintergrund
sind die Mglichkeiten einer Reintegration der trkischen Immigrantenkinder von
besonderer Bedeutung. Aufgrund der Schwierigkeiten dieser Generation in der BRD stellt
sich die Frage nach den Chancen einer Reintegration unter den Bedingungen der neuen
Wirtschaftspolitik in der Trkei.5
Turkish youths residing in Germany were culturally and socially alienated and suffered from
blatant deficits in social, academic, and political equality and opportunity. Instead of offering
prospects for improvement, or even for a viable assimilation to the German culture,
contemporary German politics were promoting policy, the primary intention of which was to
encourage the return of Turks to Turkey and to support their successful reintegration into Turkish
culture and society. The Pendler, or commuter, between the German and Turkish cultures was
widely seen as impossible to integrate. They spoke neither perfect Turkish nor acceptable
German, which resulted in greater discrimination and thus a furthering of the sense of alienation
among Turks in Germany. Those who cannot express their needs and wants, are seen as helpless
foreigners, who have a better chance to find solace in their homeland than in Germany. In
addition, the darker features of these more southern-dwelling peoples were easily distinguished
from more typical German aesthetics or even western European looks from Spain and Portugal.
5

Birkenfeld, Helmut (Hrsg.). Gastarbeiterkinder aus der Trkei: Zwischen Eingliederung und Rckkehr. C.H. Beck. Mnchen,
1982.

10

Turkey was also the only primarily Muslim country from which guest workers were recruited.
Traditional headscarves worn by many Turkish women became additional elements of
distinction, which further marked them as being different. The political focus in the Federal
Republic of Germany thus revolved around the abrogation of the immigrant question, not around
the acceptance of immigrants inside Germanys borders.
A History of Marginalization
This combination of social, political, and economic intolerance would set the stage for a
rocky and marginalized future for Turkish immigrants in Germany. It wasnt until the year 2000
that Germany amended its almost century-old naturalization laws. Based on the law of ius
sanguinus (law of the blood), dating back to 1913, German citizenship had been rooted in a
blood line of German heritage, only available to those who could prove a distinct lineage. The
German naturalization of foreigners or non-Germans was not a legal option. Even after 2000,
individuals born in Germany can only receive citizenship if both parents have resided
permanently in Germany for no less than eight years. Those who belong to this group are still
given the option, between their 18th and 23rd birthdays, to sacrifice their German citizenship for
the citizenship of their other nationality. In most cases dual citizenship is not allowed in
Germany. This policy still reflects a number of the original anti-immigrant sentiments of the
politics of the 1970s and 1980s in Germany. The window of opportunity to sacrifice ones
German citizenship is large, and hints at Germanys lingering desire to eliminate the foreigner
question, rather than address the growing necessity for more successful integration. By contrast
German Aussiedler, minorities in Eastern Europe (mostly Russian) with German heritage dating
back hundreds of years, were immediately naturalized without having to set foot on German soil,
or speak a word of the language. As one can see, the process of finding access to political rights

11

in Germany has been arduous and limited for many foreigners. Even today, naturalization
processes are bureaucratic nightmares, and foreigners continue to be faced with extreme
opposition in regards to acceptance in the German cultural mainstream.
The Turkish experience in Germany has subsequently been characterized by political
marginalization, resentment, economic disparity, social discrimination, high unemployment, and
suffering language abilities. This has resulted in issues of identity, cultural expression, and the
development of parallel social structures, immigrant/minority ghettos, youth gangs, and an
increase in violent behavior towards and among minority groups. These struggles are
additionally accompanied by a lingering yet arguably unstable sense of adherence to the Turkish
nation and culture. These social, political, and economic underpinnings of the Turkish-German
experience have become the centerpiece of their social and artistic expression. Filmmakers,
artists, actors, musicians, and authors of Turkish heritage living in Germany have embraced their
struggles and histories of migration, not only to convey personal experiences, but to engage in a
social dialogue historically denied to them. Literature has proven to be one of the more dynamic
forms of this personal and political expression chosen by Turkish-Germans, and its
developments very closely parallel the trends and changes experienced by this group.
In choosing the German language over their native Turkish, the writers demonstrate
their willingness, even eagerness, to be a part of the German-speaking community. It is
their goal to establish an identity not hampered by its linguistic trappings.6
In closer examination, it will become apparent that the works of Turkish-German authors
encompass a vital component of Germanys contemporary history and cultural make-up. These
writers straddle the languages, cultures, and traditions of two very different countries, a reality,

Veteto-Conrad, Marilya. Finding a Voice: Identity and the Works of German-Language Turkish Writers in the
Federal Republic of Germany to 1990. American University Studies: Ser. 3, Comparative Literature; 48. Peter Lang,
New York, 1996. 45

12

which has proved to discredit more than validate them. German perceptions of German culture
are narrow and limited, frequently opposing any notion that multicultural works should be
considered as legitimate contributions to contemporary German culture and history. TurkishGerman authors are not only seeking to share a story, but more importantly, to redefine the
existing constraints of this German normality. The nature of their cultural hybridity is a
product of a world growing ever more intertwined by border-crossing and migration. The growth
of globalization and the subsequent development of multicultural societies have fostered the
formation of new transnational realities, where people are no longer limited to the confines of
one national or cultural identity. Identifying closely with this hybrid profile, Turkish-Germans
are on a search for legitimacy and identity, the core of which revolves around the advancement
of their social, cultural, and political agency and influence in Germany. It is through this lens, the
product of a troubled history and tradition of migration and marginalization, that the works of
contemporary Turkish-German authors need to be viewed and understood.

13

Chapter II: Development of Turkish-German Literature

Turkish-German Literature: Gastarbeiterliteratur, Betroffenheitsliteratur, Migrantenliteratur
Turkish-German literature, for the most part, can be traced back to native Turkish guest
workers in the mid 1960s, who used the German language as their medium of literary expression.
First generation Turkish immigrant authors primarily wrote poems and short prose, which
addressed their personal and fundamental migration experiences. Aras ren, an important author
of this early period of Turkish-German literature, wrote such pieces as Was Will Niyazi in der
Naunystrasse, and Ich Anders Sprechen Lernen. Works of this generation dealt with a discussion
of the authors personal circumstances and were also closely related to the more encompassing
concept of a new life in Germany. One can glean, alone from their titles, the nature of the above
mentioned works. Was Will Niyazi in der Naunystrasse addresses the plight of Turks in Berlins
Kreuzberg district, and the hostility they faced from other working class groups in the 1960s and
1970s. Ich Anders Sprechen Lernen hints at the difficulties of language acquisition and the
primitive knowledge of German among Turkish guest workers. This Gastarbeiterdeutsch (guest
worker German), a primitive form of German, was comprised of limited vocabulary with no
grammatical structure, and developed quickly among guest worker circles. This basic means of
communication with German natives met essential needs of survival in the work force, but
provided limited opportunity for social and cultural contact within German communities. Turks
quickly became branded by their primitive speech and cultural otherness.
Gastarbeiterliteratur (guest worker literature), or Betroffenheitsliteratur (literature of the
afflicted), was quickly categorized as the collective social voice of the Turkish worker lamenting
Germanys inhospitality. Gastarbeiterliteratur also included an emphasis on the working class

14

and the common folk, much resembling the proletariat literature of Brecht.7 These Turkish
authors revealed the daily realities of life in Germany, the economic motivations of Turkish
guest workers who hoped to earn money in a wealthy and prosperous Germany, and the
challenges of leaving their homelands. It was primarily intended to enlighten the masses as to the
marginalized plight of the Turkish guest worker,8 and was written in German primarily for a
German audience.
Even some native German authors turned their attentions to the plight of immigrants in
Germany. One such work was Ganz Unten, the sensational non-fictional account of the German
journalist Gnter Wallraff. In this work Wallraff recounts his experiences disguised as an illegal
Turkish worker in Hamburg, and the horrific instances of racism and discrimination as well as
the terrible living and working conditions he encountered. Marilya Veteto-Conrad notes,
however, in the book Finding a Voice: Identity and the Works of German-Language Turkish
Writers, that Initially the descriptions of the misery of the Gastarbeiter were read avidly, but
once the element of novelty, or information, of a superficial assuagement of a collective German
bad conscience wore off, the audience dwindled.9 Such accounts, exploiting the novelty of
Turkish otherness, failed to sustain a lasting and loyal audience.
Such ponderings, however, evolved over time into more philosophical discussions of the
struggles of the foreigner, confronting language barrier issues, and balancing the new language
and customs with Turkish cultural traditions. Turkish-German literature moved beyond mere
protest toward a more productive, more realistic goal; tackling the chore of adaptation.10 The
early 1980s marked a rapid increase in the quantity of publications by German-speaking Turkish

Veteto-Conrad 18
Veteto-Conrad 6
9
Veteto-Conrad 6
10
Veteto-Conrad 28
8

15

authors. Partially responsible for this increase was a literature contest sponsored by the
Mnchner Institut fr Deutsch als Fremdsprache in 1979, soliciting Berichte, Erzaehlungen,
und Gedichte, (Reports, Narrations, and Poems). As a result, a number of anthologies were
complied with titles such as In Zwei Sprachen Leben (1983) and Tuerken Deutscher Sprache
(1984).
Today there are a number of second and third generation Turkish-German authors.
Publications from these authors cover the entire spectrum of literature; childrens stories, novels,
short stories, non-fiction, scholarly articles, editorial pieces, journalistic pieces, etc. In general,
they reflect on the questions of identity and belonging in a foreign land and often mirror the life
experiences of a mostly bicultural/multicultural environment and reality. Some of the key
elements used by Turkish-German authors to reflect this multicultural background, include codeswitching, discussing migration experiences, highlighting instances of marginilization and
discrimination, breaking cultural stereotypes, and showing criticisms of mainstream German
culture. Overtime the multicultural background of these authors has become a self-evident
characteristic of their literature. One must keep in mind that the history of Turkish-German
literature is relatively short. It is, therefore, difficult to find clear delineations of style and
content. While some evolution has taken place within Turkish-German literature over the last 40
years, a number of common themes can be found, which span the entire range of its history.
Emine Sevgi zdamar and Feridun Zaimolu represent very different immigrant
experiences within the context of Turkish-German literature. They, therefore, have very different
noteworthy literary approaches, but share some common social and political characteristics in
their writings, common to much of Turkish-German literature. zdamar came to Germany as a
first generation guest worker, whereas Zaimolu was raised in Germany from infancy.

16

zdamars writing foregrounds the vicissitudes of the migrant experience, whereas Zaimolus
literature assumes a self-evident multiculturalism. The following analysis will demonstrate,
however, how both authors, regardless of history and style, create an ethnic-minority literature
that expresses their uniquely defined social and political agency.
Turkish-German Literature as Ethnic-Minority Literature
Ethnic-minority literature refers to the literature of minority groups within a hegemonic
foreign culture, whose contributors share a common linguistic history, culture, and worldview,
determined by ethnic factors. This type of literature is also commonly referred to as multicultural
literature or minority literature, two interchangeable terms. Turkish-German literature fits well
within this classification and rests at the core of the field of multiculturalism within studies of
German literature. As mentioned before, Turkish-Germans represent the largest ethnic minority
group within Germanys borders. Turkish-German authors share a common multilingual and
multicultural background, as well as a similar marginalized social history in Germany. As is true
of many ethnic-minority groups, these factors have shaped a relatively homogeneous social and
political viewpoint among Turkish-Germans, which becomes evident in their literature.
Johanna Watzinger-Tharp succinctly categorizes the dominant questions posed by the
Turkish-German reality and the implications surrounding the collision of these two cultures as
follows: The discussion of Turkish German touches on issues of citizenship, identity, language
acquisition and maintenance, and the appropriation of ethnic varieties by speakers of the
dominant language.11 It is within the scope of these fundamental issues that much of TurkishGerman literature can be understood. Regardless of the generational divide of different Turkish
immigrant groups in Germany, the topics of their prose consistently revolve around issues of

11

Watzinger-Tharp, Johanna. Turkish-German Language: An Innovative Style of Communication and its

Implications for Citizenship and Identity. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 24.2 (2004). 1

17

identity and otherness. In more recent Turkish-German literature the theme of social and cultural
empowerment of the Turkish-German transnational is emerging.
While the backgrounds of Turkish-German writers varies and reflects a broad spectrum of
multiculturalism, the question of identity and belonging is a persistent theme in their works. The
struggle of coming to terms with this unique transnational condition stands at the center of
Turkish-German literature. Michael Tannenbaum observes, In some cases, writers who belong
to ethno-linguistic minorities choose to use their new language in order to define their identity
for specific purposes in specific contexts via language, in order to become more powerful and
obtain more influence in their [new] society.12 By defining, understanding, and validating ones
identity in the context of the adopted country and language, the transnational author obtains
authority as a functioning and capable agent of that society and culture. The works of Feridun
Zaimolu and Emini Sevgi zdamar show how two Turkish-German authors of very different
migrant backgrounds use fundamentally different narrative techniques and styles to achieve the
same goal, namely the evaluation and legitimization of the transnational Turkish-German
identity.
Although Turkish-Germans straddle the cultures, histories, and realities of two countries,
Turkish-German authors seek recognition as valid contributors to the German culture. They seek
and achieve transnational redefinition as well as an individual and collective social
empowerment through self-evaluation, linguistic mastery and agency, and interjections in
historical and political discussions. They resist narrow categorizations and social limitations and
seek to actively participate in their adopted culture. Zaimolu and zdamar are great examples
of Turkish-German authors who not only display the unique nuances of the transnational

12

Tannenbaum, Michel. The Narrative of Language Choice: Writers from Ethnolinguistic Minorities. The
Canadian Modern Language Review. 60.1 (2003): 7-26. 10

18

Turkish-German experience, but also demonstrate contributions of this group to contemporary

German culture and society. Their hyphenated identity, which they share with Americas many
minority groups (African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American, etc.), allows them to
function as minority writers who affirm their metacultural point of view and acquire the role of
the critic of both cultures.13 The notion of the hyphenated identity and the critic of both
cultures contribute to the empowerment of the ethnic subject within the hegemonic or hosting
culture, a key concept of ethnic-minority literature. This notion is mirrored by zdamar and
Zaimolu in their literature and is used to help posit their argument for the social voice of
Turkish-Germans. They seek confirmation of both the Turkish and German cultural strands that
make up their identity. By showing their ability to be critical of both pillars, they demonstrate
themselves as agents of the Turkish and German cultures.
The German Cultural Tradition: Does Turkish-German Literature Belong?
The German cultural tradition is one deeply rooted in its literary history, and thus
selecting the German language as a literary voice carries many cultural implications. Many nonnatives have faced opposition in their search for belonging to the German literary canon. In a
country in which efforts toward linguistic and literary uniformity preceded political unification
by at least two centuries, the assertion of German authorship is a liberal challenge to definitions
of Germanness.14 Turkish-German literature introduces many nuances of cultural otherness,
very distinct from the western European post-enlightenment tradition. Such differences require
an analysis of this particular immigrant literature from a contemporary perspective of increasing
globalization and multicultural social realities. The works of non-natives are components of
contemporary German literature that deserve acknowledgment for their differences in scope and

13
14

Kalogeras 10
Gerstenberger 1

19

style, but should not be disregarded as un-German. Turkish-Germans are a necessary and vital
component of the discussion of Germanys recent history, political climate, and social constructs.
Cultural inheritance in Germany, as is shown to us through the works of Turkish-German writers
is no longer a function of bloodlines but of inhabitations.15
Contemporary German literature no longer reflects a homogeneous canon of works with a
common theme, style, or ethno-historical perspective. Turkish-German literature, representative
of a particularly significant ethnic minority in Germanys recent history, deserves attention
outside of the scope of any discussion of mainstream normality in German literature. Stuart
Taberner, professor of contemporary German literature at the University of Leeds, writes that,
Ethnic minority writers, may feel marginalized within a mainstream discourse of
normality that turns obsessively and apparently exclusively on the question of how
Germans are to relate to the Nazi past, or appears to be focused on trumpeting the
victory of the west over the east in the wake of unification a triumph often stylized
as a harbinger of the victory of the occident over the orient.16
The following chapters will reveal how the works of two authors, Feridun Zaimolu and Emine
Sevgi zdamar, disrupt notions of ethnic normality in contemporary German literature. These
two authors refuse to remain marginalized and thus employ literature as a medium for social
empowerment. They embrace the above mentioned characteristics of ethnic literature in
Germany to redefine commonly misled conceptions of Turkish-Germans, and to pursue
individual and collective agency as transnational figures straddling the cultures and histories of
two distinct nations.

15

Mani, Venkat. German Studies as Perpetual Difference: A Cosmopolitical Sketch. The German Quarterly.
Summer 2006.
16
Taberner, Stuart. From Normalization to Globalization. German Fiction into the New Millenium: Christian
Kracht, Ingo Schulze, and Feridun Zaimoglu. In German Culture, Politics, and Literature into the Twenty-First
Century: Beyond Normalization. Ed. Stuart Taberner and Paul Cooke. Camden House. New York 2006.

20

Chapter III: Emine Sevgi zdamar

Biographical Overview
Emine Sevgi zdamar was born in Malatya, Turkey in 1946. This eastern province of
Turkey is itself a borderland, where Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic are spoken. Her father, a
construction entrepreneur, moved zdamar and her family, throughout much of her youth, from
the provincial Turkish countryside to Istanbul, then Bursa, and finally Ankara, in search of more
work. zdamar made her first sojourn to Germany from 1965 to 1967 as a guest worker where
she was employed in a factory in Berlin. She worked for two years in Berlin after which she
returned to Turkey in 1967 to pursue her passion for stage performance, and attended an acting
school in Istanbul until 1970. zdamar returned to Germany in 1976 and quickly became
actively engaged as an actress and stage director/producer in theaters in Berlin and Bochum. As a
visiting student she was first employed as a directors assistant at the Volksbhne in Berlin,
which was followed by participation in the traveling production of Kaukasischer Kreidekreis,
which brought her to Paris and Avignon, France in 1978. From 1979 to 1984 zdamar acted
under Claus Pemann at Bochums Schauspielhaus, as well as in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin
under a variety of other directors. Sponsored by the Bochum Schauspielhaus, zdamars first
play Karagz in Alemania began production in 1982, and she simultaneously began to make
her first film appearances. zdamar has been an active freelance writer in Berlin since 1982. She
launched her literary career with the publication of her first novel Mutterzunge in 1990.
In her works, zdamar continually reflects on her own biography, expanding upon her
experiences as a youth and as a woman, on the cultural divide between Turkey and Germany.
Accordingly, her novels incorporate a number of traditional elements of Turkish-German
literature. She addresses the issue of migration and of adaptation, the nuances of learning new

21

languages and forgetting old ones, the struggle to understand ones emergent cross-cultural
identity, and most importantly, of making ones transnational condition understandable and
identifiable to those in ones new homeland. She problematizes the nature of language and the
link between languages and identity. Migration, history, and language are the centerpieces of her
aspirational literary and aesthetic program.
Man muss sein Vaterland verraten und an einen anderen Ort gehen, damit man
gleichzeitig an zwei Orten sein kannDurch einen solchen Ortwechsel wird die eigene
Geschichte grer und magischer. Und wie Can Yuecel sagte, ist Literatur die Suche
nach Identitt. Die Suche nach Identitt ist etwas anderes in einem fremden Land als im
eigenen Land. -zdamar17
Two of zdamars works, Mutterzunge and Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn, are prime
examples of zdamars efforts to engage in a discussion of the identity of the Turkish-German
immigrant. She achieves this by addressing the challenges of Turkish natives in Germany to
reconcile their native language, tradition, and heritage with their new cultural reality. zdamar,
above all else, views these challenges as enriching and empowering, inspiring growth and
tolerance. It is in this regard that zdamar breaks from the tradition of some Turkish-German
literary predecessors whose works were solely designed to expose the injustices experienced by
Turkish minority groups in Germany. She rejects the ineffective and collective lamentation of
struggle and isolation. Instead she seeks to exhibit how a search for identity in a foreign land
can, in fact, lead to a successful personal reconciliation and redefinition. The resulting
transnational identity belongs to an integrated individual, without having been forced to sacrifice
his or her historical roots and qualities of otherness.
In Writing Outside the Nation, Azade Seyhan notes that zdamars writing is about
language in all its forms and manifestations, as speech and script, as language game and
17

Stiller-Kern, Gabrielle. Ich drehte meine Zunge ins Deutsche, und pltzlich war ich glcklich!
http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?630 (2003). 1

22

everyday practice, as ritual and performance, and as survival and mastery.18 I will show,
through an analysis of Mutterzunge and Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn, how zdamars unique
use of language, her method of remembrance, the drawing of historical connections, and use of
locations are employed to establish a foundation of dialogue and reconciliation between the
Turkish and German cultures, growing ever more connected by fibers of Turkish-German
transnationals.
Mutterzunge
zdamars breakthrough novel, Mutterzunge, is a collection of four narrations, which
address, in many ways autobiographically, the problems of migration, linguistics, and
multicultural identity from the perspective of a Turkish immigrant in Germany. The four
narratives are titled Mutterzunge, Grovaterzunge, Karagz in Alamania, Schwarzauge in
Deutschland, und Karriere einer Putzfrau: Erinnerungen an Deutschland. The first two
narratives recount the story of the narrator as a young first generation Turkish immigrant in
Germany, who attempts to re-discover the point at which she lost her native tongue. In her
moments of contemplation and remembrance the narrator recalls memories of important
instances in her linguistic transition. She can vaguely recollect Turkish sentences uttered by
friends and family members while she strains to recall walking the streets of Berlin and the
moments when her knowledge of her native tongue began to be blurred by her new surroundings.
The text consists primarily of a seemingly playful dialogue, switching frequently from direct
conversation between the narrator and her mother to more philosophical contemplations on the
nature of the narrators linguistic reality and history. Colorful images such as, Ich sa mit meiner
gedrehten Zunge in dieser Stadt Berlin (9), accentuate Oezdemars creative and pictorial
approach to this and other narratives, and introduces to the reader the specific challenge of the
18

Seyhan, Azade. Writing Outside the Nation. Princeton University Press. Princeton 2001. 118

23

protagonist in Mutterzunge; namely, reconnecting with the roots of her linguistic past. Wenn ich
nur wsste, wann ich meine Mutterzunge verloren habe (9). In addition, the narration is
dispersed with interjections of Turkish-German translations. For example, Sehen:Grmek,
Grmek: Sehen (11). In this instance, the act of translating from one language to another,
functions as an indicator of the protagonists fragmented linguistic knowledge. The translations
are often random, and are frequently limited to one or two words, not entire sentences or
thoughts. In her desperation to remember, she begins processing what is still fresh in her
recollection to help engage her mind in the task of searching even deeper back into her past.
zdamar has effectively narrowed the question of identity to language. However, this
examination of ones linguistic make-up, in this instance, becomes the first step to a greater
search for and understanding of ones condition and of ones history as an immigrant or
minority. zdamar subtly makes this greater task of self-examination evident in the first few
pages of the narrative. The narrator recalls a holiday visit to Istanbul to visit her family and
remembers asking her mother about why the lighting in Turkey seemed so different. Her mother
responds, Istanbul hatte immer diese Lichter, deine Augen sind an Alamanien-Lichter gewhnt
(9). This passage is another example of zdamars vivid and colorful depiction of the blurred
boundaries of her narrators memory. Her eyes are no longer accustomed to the lights of
Istanbul, but instead to the lights of Germany. This passage indicates that a greater personal
transformation has taken place within the narrator as a result of her residing in Germany, rather
than simply a linguistic transition. Instead, the narrators entire library of senses has been altered
and adjusted to different circumstances. Although zdamar introduces language as the primary
catalyst for the narrators change in cultural perception, as we see in the above quotation, the
narrators memories transcend mere recollections of transformations in language. This

24

foreshadows the narrators intention of contextualizing her past and present, and coming to terms
with a changing and multi-faceted identity.
In the second narrative, Grossvaterzunge, the protagonist has decided on a process of
reconciliation with her now muddled linguistic past. Vielleicht erst zu Grovater zurck, dann
kann ich den Weg zu meiner Mutter und Mutterzunge finden (14). zdamar herself originally
from a region of linguistic crossroads helps guide her protagonist to her Turkish origins (her
Mutter) by first exploring their foundations and traditions (her Grossvater), namely, Arabic.
She must travel to West Berlin to the small and humble mosque of a linguist named Ibni
Abdullah. Ibni Abdullah functions as her mentor and teacher, instructing her in Arabic in an
effort to aid her in piecing together the fragmented memories of her Turkish heritage. Upon
meeting, the two greet each other in Turkish followed by this subsequent interjection from the
narrator: Es ist eine Gemeinheit, mit einer Orientalin in Deutsch zu reden, aber momentan
haben wir ja nur diese Sprache (15). The application of archaic references like Orientalin and
Alemania, serve a number of purposes in the context of ethnic minority literature. By referring
to herself as oriental, the narrator identifies herself in her new surroundings in Germany by her
otherness and exoticness, the way a German might identify her otherness. This underscores her
feelings of marginalization in her adopted culture. Similarly, the use of the Turkish language, not
the German language, to identify the host country, Alemania, indicates a sense of distance.
Alemania is not her place of origin. The reference thus mirrors her reality as a migrant, assuming
the task of adaptation to the foreign culture.
Through the narrators interaction with Ibni Abdullah, the reader begins to see the
transformation in the narrators quest from a linguistic challenge to a more encompassing search
for identity. Her search for an understanding of her language, however, has brought her to not

25

only a language teacher but also a spiritual leader. Ibni Adbullah, accordingly, becomes not only
her Arabic and Turkish teacher, but her personal philosopher, mentor, and eventually her lover.
When studying the Arabic characters, the narrator becomes enveloped in their symbology. She is
preoccupied with their shapes and with their pictorial interactions, so much so that she begins to
react emotionally to them.
Die Schriften sprachen miteinander ohne Pause mit verschiedenen Stimmen weckten
die eingeschlafenen Tiere in meinem Krper, ich schliee Augen, die Stimmen der Liebe
wird mich blind machen, sie sprechen weiter, mein Krper geht auf wie ein in der Mitte
aufgeschnittener Granatapfel, in Blut und Schmutz kam ein Tier raus (26).
Confronting the roots of her mother tongue has opened her body and let out an animal. This
confrontation has released her chaotic inner contemplations and set the stage for personal peacefinding and reconciliation. It becomes clear that her search for remembrance of the foundations
of her linguistic knowledge has evolved into a much more complicated task of addressing,
understanding, and reconciling her heritage, and most importantly, finding the means with which
to contextualize it in her current (German) surroundings.
As her lessons continue, her relationship with Ibni Abdullah becomes increasingly more
intimate. Her love for this Arabic Schriftgelehrter, whom she also refers to as grandfather,
signifies her desire to connect with her past and her heritage. It is through this interaction that the
narrator finds understanding in her identity. The end of this second short narration is marked by
the suicide of Ibni Abdullah. The narrators transformation is complete, however, and the passing
of Ibni Abdullah parallels the exhaustion of his utility to the narrator as a mentor. At the end of
the narration the protagonist is confronted by a young girl on the street who asks her what she is
doing in Germany? She replies:
Ich bin Wrtersammlerin. Und Ibni Abdullah, die Seele in meiner Seele, dachte ich
und erinnerte mich noch an ein Wort in meiner Mutterzunge:

26

Ruh-Ruh heit Seele, sagte ich zu dem Mdchen.

Seele heit Ruh, sagte sie(48).
The narrator exhibits growth through this display of confidence and agency. Her preoccupation
with the search for the loss of her mother tongue instigated a process of greater personal selfunderstanding. Her resulting identity (a cross-cultural word collector) is thus rooted in her
linguistic venture. As the centerpiece of her understanding, language aided the narrator in
coming to terms with her Turkish-German identity, and supported her transnational position
across these two cultures. Ibni Abdullah, representing the roots of her cultural heritage, has
become intertwined in the narrators soul, bringing full circle her reconciliation with her past.
The final interaction with the young girl serves a more intricate purpose than a mere translation
of words. Ruh, is a false Turkish-German cognate, meaning soul in Turkish, but quiet or
silence in German. The words have different meanings in their respective languages but share,
however, similar contextual connotations. The quiet or silenced soul indicates the nature of the
narrators reconciliation with her chaotic inner struggle with her identity. This moment of
Turkish-German linguistic harmony mirrors the narrators own harmonious coming-to-terms
with her transnational context in Germany, both of which are used to support the notion of
accord between the Turkish and German cultures.
In the latter half of zdamars Mutterzunge, zdamar focuses less on the task and
process of integration within the German culture, and instead devotes her discussion to the guest
worker migration from Turkey to Germany. The narrative following Grossvaterzunge is
Karagz in Alamania Schwarzauge in Deutschland, which functions as a sort of Turkish guest
worker fairy tale. Here zdamar discusses some of the principal struggles and challenges faced
by Turkish individuals and families in their search for economic prosperity in Germany. This

27

particular story brings to light the conditions and considerations of a poor rural Turkish family,
their desperate economic situation, and their willingness to separate themselves and venture to a
foreign land in hopes of realizing financial prosperity.
Hast du nicht gehrt? Es regnet in Deutschland Perlen. Eine Perle davon hat ins Ohr von
dem Onkel des Bauern geregnet, und der Bauer geht nach Alamania Perlen sammeln
(59).
In her still very colorful language, zdamar paints for the reader a picture of Germany from the
perspective of a rural Turkish farmer. Germany is perceived as a place of economic asylum and
opportunity, which has driven these characters to emigrate. The ensuing struggles of the Turkish
farmer reveal a number of key aspects surrounding the psychological, social, and cultural
implications brought on by the process of immigration.
The farmer leaves his wife in Turkey to find work in Germany. Upon his arrival he
describes the door of Germany as being clogged with bundles and suitcases (62). Much of this
narration includes images of these characters and other immigrants at Germanys borders,
struggling with the personal decisions and obstacles of staying or leaving. For example, an illegal
worker disguises himself as a soccer player in hopes of fooling the border control officers into
thinking he is of German heritage. Another woman begs not be sent back to Turkey for fear of
losing her husband to a German woman. Der Grenzpolizist sagte zu ihr [einer Frau]: Ihre
Aufenthaltserlaubnis ist abgelaufen. Verstanden? Du zurck nach Hause. Alles klar? Sie musste
von der Alamania-Tr zurckkehren (68). The struggles of immigrants involved not only the
decision to leave their native homeland, but once in Germany to be able to stay. A return to
Turkey meant subsequent difficulties in ever being able come back to Germany again. This
posed guest workers with a social, cultural, political, and economic dilemma: stay or leave. Both
choices were riddled with individual consequences and collective implications for the future of

28

Turks in Germany. zdamars use of the door motif helps to characterize the complexity of these
personal and collective meanings. Wenn er einmal aus Deutschland-Tr rausgegangen wre,
htte er vielleicht nicht mehr durch diese Tr reinkommen knnen (78). Doors represent entry,
new opportunities, emergance, and advancement. Doors, however can also close one off from
previous eras and experiences. This right of passage becomes a decisive act of finality. The
threshold to Alamania would not forever remain open, and thus staying, regardless of social
discrimination, growing economic instability, and complete cultural dissimilarity, for many, was
the more promising of two difficult options.
The characters endure a great deal of hardship throughout the duration of the farmers
guest worker experience in Germany. After bringing his wife to Germany she leaves, unable to
cope with cultural differences, only to return, unable to cope with her life in Turkey. The farmer
experiences a number of profound personal changes as well. Upon a return visit to Turkey he is
described as being unrecognizable. Der Bauer kam mit seinem Esel aus Alamania. Der Bauer
war nicht mehr zu erkennen (81). These, just a few of the obstacles of immigration shown here
by zdamar, embrace the roots of Turkish-German Literature. Early Turkish-German literature
focused on lamenting the collective struggles of the Turkish immigrant and their families in
Germany. Relationships suffered as families were separated, and Turks were met with adversity
and isolation in Germany, in addition to suffering profound losses of socio-cultural ties and
feelings of adherence with their homelands, as exhibited in the quotation above.
Verzeihen Sie, sind sie Trke?
Ich fr Deutsche Trk,
fr Araber Deutsche,
zusammen Tischtennisspielen (91).

29

This excerpt is the crux of zdamars message. Mimicking the structure of the first two
narrations in Mutterzunge, a narrow quest for economic prosperity in Germany evolves into a
much more encompassing quest for personal redefinition. In Germany, Turkish immigrants are
categorized by their foreignness, and in what was once their native homeland, they are now
perceived as equally estranged and disconnected. The Turkish immigrant thus emerges as a
Pendler, a border-crosser, marginalized in both places and struggling to establish a secure
identity.
zdamar paints a vibrant, autobiographical picture of the cross-cultural realities of many
Turkish-German citizens in Mutterzunge. However, beyond merely recounting events and
challenges with which any non-immigrant/non-minority would struggle to identify, she uses
language very rich in images and sensations to convey her message to a much larger audience.
Her topic matter is not limited to a discussion of cultural barriers and social injustices but instead
revolves around the tasks of adaptation and reconciliation. Her characters are not stagnant, but
instead ever-changing and growing. They do not seek retreat and isolation but instead
enlightenment and empowerment. For example, the narrator in the first two narratives of the
book pursues a quest of self-examination, which results in a personal
Vergangenheitsbewltigung and a successful social integration as a transnational agent. It is in
this respect that zdamars Mutterzunge begins to function as a social commentary. Her TurkishGerman characters display capabilities and efforts in an attempt to inspire mutual understanding
among both Turkish and German nationals. zdamar points to the future with signs of
renewal and hope,19 indicating real opportunity for harmony between Germans and Turkish
minority groups.

19

Shafi, Monika. Talkin Bout my Generation: Memories of 1968 in Recent German Novels. German Life and
Letters. 59.2 (2006). 216

30

Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn

This work, the second book of zdamars Berlin-Istanbul trilogy, is the autobiographical novel
of zdamar as a young female Turkish guest worker and her experiences in a divided Berlin (and
other parts of western Europe) during the 1960s and 1970s. At the beginning of the 1960s, the
then 17 year-old woman boards a train from Istanbul to Berlin, where she is to fulfill a year-long
guest worker contract. She becomes proficient in German and is sought out by the large
electronics manufacturing company Siemens to be an interpreter/liaison between workers and
management. The first-person narrator experiences a personal transformation and develops a
sense of independence and emancipation during her time abroad in Germany. Historically
speaking, she experiences the first climax of the student movements in Berlin, shortly thereafter
returning to Turkey with a new politicized perspective. The second half of the novel (taking
place in 1967), draws attention to the now 23 year-old narrators experiences upon her return to
Istanbul. She is accepted into Istanbuls premier acting school (mirroring zdamars own
personal experience). Here she must reconcile the seemingly contradictory aspects of her life,
torn between cultural bohemia and political consciousness, while simultaneously being stifled by
the restrictions and expectations of her traditional and conservative surroundings. Her struggles
are reflected in the Bridge of the Golden Horn, a prominent bridge in Istanbul that connects the
two European sides of the city. It is a coming-of-age story, which addresses the plight of the
guest workers and the complex role of identity, language, sexuality, expression, and culture in
ones development and emancipation. The story ends in 1975 as the narrator returns to Berlin
following the outbreak of Turkeys military dictatorship, with its brutal repression and
executions.

31

In the first part of the book, Der Beleidigte Bahnhof (The Insulted Train Station),
zdamar addresses a number of similar elements as in Mutterzunge. Again, language becomes
the starting-point and centerpiece from which to convey the experiences of her protagonist as a
guest worker in a Berlin factory. Having no knowledge of the German language, the
protagonists first attempt to begin understanding her new surroundings is to memorize
newspaper and magazine headlines, which she repeats regularly and ineffectually in
conversation. As her knowledge of the language improves, however, the depth of her
understanding expands. The acquisition of German language skills makes the immigrant (and
thus the narrator) more socially able, and provides for an improved dialogue between them and
Germans. The ensuing interactions foster better mutual understanding and a greater possibility
for social integration. As we see here, the improvement of the protagonists German skills
introduces a variety of new concepts. Die Trken sprachen in ihrer Sprache, die mit deutschen
Wrtern gemischt war, wofr sie in Trkisch keine Worte hatten, wie: Arbeitsamt, Finanzamt,
Lohnsteuerkarte, Berufsschule (77). As more time passes, the narrator becomes aware of the
social and cultural clefts which exist between her homeland and her new surroundings in Berlin.
She begins to learn new vocabulary, and thus new concepts, for example, social organizations
and programs that are non-existent in Turkey.
The narrator also elaborates on the living and working conditions for guest workers.
Jeder stand allein vor seiner groen Maschine. Man hrte die lauten Gerusche in der Halle und
den Regen drauen, aber nicht die Menschen (99). Because of the temporary nature of the guest
worker contracts, social integration programs were never implemented to help these foreigners
learn German and become functioning members of society. The above quotation helps to
illustrate the resulting feelings of isolation experienced by guest workers in Germany. The

32

worker stands alone before a large abstract machine, while the loud noise drowns out the sounds
of those around them. As foreigners abroad, the guest workers, as illustrated here, become lost in
the anonymity of their work and their surroundings. Not only had Turks traveled the furthest,
their appearance and language was more different than that of any other European guest worker.
Accordingly, Turkish workers experienced a heightened degree of marginalization.
While enchanted by Berlin and her new experiences she simultaneously faces such
limitations as her work and difficult cultural and linguistic barriers. However, the narrator
resolves to become emancipated and integrated in her new surroundings. She returns to Istanbul
at Christmas time at the end of her first year in Germany. In an encounter with a man on the train
the narrator describes: Der Mann mit dem Schnurrbart schttelte fter seinen Kopf, lachte und
sagte: Mdchen, wenn du ankommst, soll deine Mutter dich mit arabischer Seife waschen
(104). Even a perfect stranger notices the distinct changes she has undergone, so much so, in fact
that he recommends a cleansing of her new mentality in order to readapt to her Arab roots.
In Istanbul the narrator begins to face the challenges of a new multicultural perception as
her two worlds, Berlin and Istanbul, collide. Her mother comments, Sie hat Deutsch gelernt.
Eine Sprache ist eine Mensch, zwei Sprachen sind zwei Menschen (179). Her parents struggle
to relate to her, they feel unwanted and unneeded. The narrator conversely struggles to
understand her own feelings and come to terms with a traditional past, now seen through
seemingly enlightened eyes. To help alleviate her sense of disconnect, the narrator begins to
pursue her passion for acting and matriculates at a local acting school in another part of Istanbul.
zdamar uses the notion of location very often in Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn to mirror the
narrators struggle with her identity. Berlin and Istanbul are separate worlds. Istanbul is her past
and her origin, while Berlin is her growth and emancipation. The following observation

33

effectively illustrates some of the struggles the narrator is experiencing in attempting to cope
with this divide. The protagonists father says:
Meine Tochter, du bist ein Mann geworden. Du hast aus Deutschland eine neue Mode
gebracht. Du kommst in der Nacht nach Hause. Er sagte auch: Meine Tochter, du drehst
dich wie die Welt im All, hoffentlich gehst du nicht im Himmel verloren. Tagsber ging
ich zur europischen Seite zur Schauspielschule, dann zur Cinemathek, dann zum
Restaurant Kapitn, und dann kam ich zurck zur asiatischen Seite von Istanbul zu
meinem Elternhaus wie in ein Hotel. Ich schlief in Asien und fuhr, wenn der Vogel
Memisch am Morgen anfing zu singen, wieder nach Europa (221).
The struggle to reconcile her two realities is forced to the surface after her return home to
Turkey. The narrator is no longer the innocent Turkish girl her parents once knew, but instead
now straddles two cultural viewpoints, one of which she can not convey or make identifiable to
her family in Turkey. As shown in this quotation, zdamar effectively projects this sense of
Euro-Asian/Enlightened-Traditional divide between Germany and Turkey, within the context of
the geographical structure of Istanbul. The western half of the city is considered part of the
European side of Turkey, while the eastern portion rests on the Asian side. The narrators
acting school and popular pastimes, in other words her passions and freedoms, are located in the
European part of the city. Her family and traditions are located on the Asian side, where she
must return at night to her parents home, like a hotel. Here she feels like a guest, anonymous
and temporary. As a woman embodying two contrasting perceptions and realities, the
protagonists internal divide is mirrored in her geographical surroundings.
In addition to zdamars use of locations as a parallel of Turkish-German minority
challenges, a method and aspect of her ethnic-minority writing is the notion of historic-political
overlap. This is a concept used to introduce historical and political similarities between the
make-up of the visiting and hosting cultures. These connections are established in hopes of
providing an additional platform for dialogue and mutual understanding. As seen in an analysis

34

of Mutterzunge, zdamar underscores moments of cultural and linguistic connectedness that

support the notion of multicultural harmony between Turks and Germans. In Die Brcke vom
Goldenen Horn, zdamar introduces a new aspect of Turkish-German commonality, namely
their political histories. As a young guest worker in Berlin in the 1960s, the protagonist of this
story is witness to the political demonstrations in Berlin as a curious but unaffected observer.20
Her contact with the political mentality of her German contemporaries in Berlin, however,
becomes an important part of her cross-boundary growth and emancipation. The second part of
the novel, given the same title as the book, includes an account of the persecution of political
dissidents in Turkey, the narrator among them.21 zdamars [exploration of] the student protests
in Germany and Turkey within the wider European political context of Cold War politics and the
dictatorships of the 1960s and 1970s, unequivocally connects her narrators experiences in both
Berlin and Istanbul.22 By establishing this connection, zdamar establishes another foundation
of dialogue between the Turkish and German cultures, often thought to embody irreconcilable
cultural and social differences.
The 1968 student protests in Germany were born out of the intellectual youths response
to a changing political world, a transforming society, a coming-to-terms with a fascist past, and
an emancipation from a stagnant and silenced Second World War generation. The narrators
experiences and transformations in Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn share striking similarities
with these internal and social dilemmas. She is struggling with a difficult emancipation process
while becoming politically active in the protest efforts against the reigning fascist regime in

20

Seyhan, Azade. From Istanbul to Berlin: Stations on the Road to a Transcultural/Translational Literature.
German Politics and Society. 74.23.1 (2005). 202
21
Seyhan,From Istanbul to Berlin 166
22
Shafi 202

35

Turkey. Turks and Germans were sharing much more similar social fates than most Germans
were prepared to acknowledge.
Conclusion
zdamars social commentaries are subtle but effective. As a proponent of transnational
identity, zdamar uses literature as a means with which to convey opportunities for successful
multicultural harmony and mutual understanding between Turks and Germans within the borders
of Germany. The characters in Mutterzunge and Die Brcke vom Goldenen Horn are voluntary
emigrants to Germany, who are active and engaged citizens seeking to understand themselves,
their identity, their surroundings, and their agency within those surroundings. Elizabeth Boa
comments that, In conveying a complex sense of transformative interchange between culturally
heterogenous countries under the impact of social and political change, [zdamars novels]
combat fixed national or cultural stereotypes. 23 zdamars position, however, is not limited to
just the rejection of fixed identities. As Boa notes, the core of zdamars literature is a
discussion of transformation and interchange. Her works, therefore, become an assertion of and a
demand for the empowerment of multinational identities. She supports this claim by drawing
linguistic similarities between Turkish and German, by highlighting instances of commonality in
the political histories of Turkey and Germany, and by exhibiting the agency, independence,
competence, and ability to belong, capable of her Turkish-German constituency.
This viewpoint marks a controversial position in the contemporary debate on the nature
of German culture and history. Monika Shafi observes that, The tension between a monocultural and a multicultural perspective on German history and culture continues to influence a
number of current debates on German identity, offering us a prime example of how different

23

Boa, Elizabeth. zdamar s Autobiographical Fictions: Trans-national Identity and Literary Form. German Life
and Letters. 59.4 (2006). 526

36

agendas compete in shaping cultural memory.24 zdamar believes that the multicultural
perspective of Germanys immigrant and minority groups, specifically Turkish-Germans,
embodies a necessary component of Germanys contemporary social, political, and cultural
history and commentary. zdamars own cross-boundary experiences are projected through her
protagonists. As a result, her works inform and enlighten her readers to the perspective and
contemplations of an achieved Turkish-German on contemporary German society. zdamar
establishes legitimacy for her characters and therefore for this perspective by showing their
successful self-evaluations, quests for emancipation and belonging, and assertions of
transnational identity.

24

Shafi 204

37

Chapter IV: Ferdiun Zaimolu

Biographical Overview
Feridun Zaimolu was born in Bolu, Turkey in 1964. One year later he came with his
parents to Germany, living in Berlin and Munich for roughly 20 years. Since 1985 he has lived in
Kiel. Zaimolus academic background includes the study of medicine and art. He never
completed his degree, and after leaving the university he began work as a free lance writer and
author. He has regularly contributed literary critiques and essays to popular German periodicals
and publications such as Die Zeit, Die Welt, SPEX (a pop culture magazine) and Der
Tagesspiegel. It was with the 1995 publication of his provocative work Kanak Sprak: 24
Misstne vom Rande der Gesellschaft that he made a name for himself in the German literary
and social world. In this work, Zaimolu colorfully exhibited the powerful speech characteristics
and attitudes of young men of Turkish heritage in Germany. Displaying this Tuerkendeutsch
(Turkish-German language) in all of its crass honesty was a bold attempt on Zaimolus part to
challenge ideas of romantic and harmonious multiculturalism and shed light on the truth behind
minority and immigrant conditions in Germany.
In Zaimolus works, the discriminated and marginalized become active agents of
culture. It is not only Zaimolgus goal to reform mainstream politics and provide greater social
empowerment and acknowledgment for Turkish-Germans and other minorities, but also to
subvert and destroy notions of fixed identity. In this sense, all characters, whether minority,
immigrant, or native become empowered and legitimized while simultaneously being objects of
criticism. Tom Cheesman, senior lecturer at the University of Wales Swanseas Department of
German, and expert on diaspora writing and transnational communities, describes Zaimolus
approach in his work Talking Kanak: Zaimolu contra Leitkultur, as follows:

38

Zaimolus strategy involves pseudo-ethnicitywith stylized language, which

disrupts the state-sanctioned dialogue between Germans and Turks.This strategy of
pseudo-ethnicization effectively explodes the idea that any normative national culture
exists as the objective correlative of such concepts.25
Psuedo-ethnicization refers, primarily, to Zaimolus satirical subversion of ethnic stereotypes.
Zaimolu promulgates images of Turkish otherness and marginalization while simultaneously
exhibiting ironic instances of multicultural integration and harmony. All of this is accompanied
by critical displays of German mainstream society and politics. This combination effectively
undermines any notions of a homogenous cultural make-up, and widespread contemporary
beliefs about minorities in Germany.
Two works by Zaimolu that embody this departure from widely-adopted norms and
perceptions are Liebesmale, Scharlachrot and German Amok. In the first work, Zaimolu
portrays two German friends of Turkish heritage engaged in an exchange of letters while the
protagonist is on summer vacation in Turkey. Through the juxtaposition of two strongly differing
personalities, the author simultaneously confirms and subverts stereotypes of Turkish-German
youths in contemporary Germany. In German Amok, Zaimolu uses Berlins elitist art scene to
shed a critical light on the behaviors, perceptions, and motivations of both native and minority
groups in Germany, particularly in Berlin.
My intention is to show how Zaimolu claims socio-political agency and empowerment
in his literature by demonstrating authority over both Turkish and German culture. He commands
the German language to an impressively complex degree, thus legitimizing his position in the
German cultural mainstream, while simultaneously drawing on his experiences as a marginalized
Turkish immigrant. His works lay claim to both cultural groups. Instead of appealing to
commonality and multicultural harmony like zdamar, Zaimolu is far more aggressive in his
25

Cheesman, Tom. Talking Kanak: Zaimolu contra Leitkultur. New German Critique. Telos Press. 84.

39

assertion of belonging and identity as a transnational citizen and ethnic writer. He is determined
to convey that multiculturalism in Germany should not be treated as a novelty, but rather as a
legitimate reality and objective, and he challenges both Turks and Germans to discard flawed
perceptions of immigrant stereotypes and prescriptive social roles and relationships. As you will
be shown, the nature of these narratives from Zaimolu do not warrant the more chronological
analysis given to zdamars works. His stories follow less of a climactic or sequential literary
progression. Instead, the core elements of his writing, which pertain to his pursuit of sociopolitical agency exist as foundations in the general structure, language, character, and style of his
prose.
Liebesmale, Scharlachrot
Liebesmale, Scharlachrot is an epistolary novel consisting of 42 letters, exchanged over
the course of a summer, which reveals the lives of two Turkish-Germans and their chaotic
border-transcending multicultural world in Germany. In an effort to portray the complex cultural
pressures within this group, Zaimolu develops two strongly contrasting personalities, who,
however, are fundamentally similar in their Turkish-German heritage. Hakan fulfills the role of
the hardened Kanakster gangster, while Serdar is an Assimil-Ali, or one who actively attempts to
assimilate to the German culture and lifestyle. A Kanakster is a manifestation of the gangster
image often associated with German youths of Turkish heritage. Hakan is easily influenced by
peers and partakes in petty criminal activities, whereas Serdar is more courageous in his
convictions and is interested in a thoughtful and introspective analysis of his life, his identity,
and his principles. The interaction between these two characters raises a number of questions
about the nature and make-up of the Turkish minority group in Germany. In creating two
divergent characters Zaimolu sheds light on the problem of identity in the context of a more

40

holistic social and cultural Turkish-German spectrum. He simultaneously subverts and validates
both Turkish and German stereotypes, in an effort to authenticate and legitimize the unique
transnational identity of the individual Turkish-German. The exchange of letters uses a rather
masterful application of the German language, exhibiting linguistic elegance and authority, while
simultaneously showing complete control of crass colloquialisms that leave virtually nothing to
the imagination. While most of the letters are between Serdar and Hakan, Serdar also
occasionally corresponds with two former girlfriends, Dina and Anke.
At the beginning of the novel Serdars first letter reveals his emotional vulnerability,
overwhelmed with his life in Germany and the status of his relationships; he has traveled to
Turkey to spend the summer with his parents as an opportunity to escape and evaluate himself.
Immediately, within the first two letters, Serdar and Hakan begin to establish their contrasting
personalities.
Serdar: Ich muss mich also entscheiden, wie ich das Schreiben und das Lieben unter
eine Decke bringen kann (13).
Hakan:ich glaub du hast ein Projekt laufen von wegen: die Auswilderung des Tuerks ins
Heimische... Verdammt, was werden die Ghettokollegas ber mich denken, wenn ich
ihnen beichte, dass ich Seiten ber Seiten vollgepinselt habe, Mann, bin ich n
Romanmaler oder was... (27)
Serdar represents the introspective romantic, undergoing a journey and engaging in the
therapeutic act of writing in order to find answers to the conflicts he faces. He is concerned with
evaluating his feelings through his writing. Hakan, on the other hand, engages in this exchange
of letters under much more superficial pretenses. He is embarrassed at the thought of his kollegas
(friends) discovering his philosophical correspondence with Serdar, even though his accounts are
often limited to banal juvenile escapades and romantic crushes. Later in the novel, Serdar goes as
far as to describe himself as Hakans Imam, an Arabic term for a religious guide or mentor.

41

Du solltest in dich gehen und dich fragen, ob deine sexuellen Verfehlungen nicht Frevel
wider den himmlischen Vater sind und ob es nicht an der Zeit ist, abzulassen von
Spielotheken-Tricks und dem Kanakentick, stndig und zur Selbstvergewisserung am
Penis rumzunesteln Werde ein besserer Mensch. Dein Imam im Gnadenstand der
Erkenntnis Serdar. (36)
Serdar provides Hakan with advice and guidance. He tries to encourage him to abandon the
lifestyle of his Kanakster friends. This further stratifies the maturity levels of the two characters.
Serdar emerges as the level-headed and independent leader and Hakan adopts the role of an
easily influenced follower, driven by peer-pressure and sexual instinct. If Serdar and Hakan are
on such different intellectual levels, one must ask, why are they such close friends? Very simply,
they are both of Turkish descent, raised and living in Germany. By highlighting this aspect of the
relationship, Zaimolu illustrates a notion of Turkish-German solidarity and commonality. While
the social perceptions of the two friends are radically different, their common background
provides for a high level of mutual understanding. They grew up in the same neighborhood,
experienced similar social discrimination, and are branded with the same stereotypes. As a result,
while essentially dissimilar they find comfort and utility in confiding in one another. Thus, the
stage is set, upon which Zaimolu pursues his social and political commentaries in Liebesmale,
Scharlachrot.
Beyond zdamar, who focuses more exclusively on the spectrum of otherness between
Turks and Germans, Zaimolu draws attention to the experience of otherness and its many
manifestations among Turkish-Germans. Zaimolu is not a proponent of pure assimilation, nor is
he entirely against it. In the same regard, he is satirical and critical of the socially fragmented
gangster groups and their idiosyncrasies. Zaimolu goes to great lengths to refrain from adopting
a definitive position vis--vis a correct social behavior within minority groups. This, I believe, is
why Hakan and Serdar are closest of friends. Both are fundamentally different and critical of one

42

another, yet an underlying sense of equality and fraternity remains between the two throughout
the novel. In the arena of Turkish-German literature and ethnic minority literature, it is
Zaimolus intention to break with convention. In other words, Turkish-Germans should not feel
compelled to adhere to, nor remain passively resolved to adopting the stereotyped life of the
Kanakster, nor need they assimilate to a narrowly defined standard of German culture and
society. Tom Cheesman adds in Turkish Lives and Letters: To oppose the identitarian
regime which fixes individuals as representatives of constructed groups, it is not sufficient
merely to object that one is an individual: it is necessary to subvert the multiculturalist discourse
of identity (187).26 In Zaimolus case in Liebesmale, Scharlachrot, this takes form in the
exaggeration of stereotypical expectation (Hakan) and the reversal of such expectations by the
eloquent, adjusted, and assimilated Serdar. By developing such distinctly contrasting
characters, Zaimolu disrupts the mainstream perception of multiculturalist identity. He
embraces stereotypes while simultaneously diverting them, creating new constructs of TurkishGerman behavior and identity. Both characters take unique paths, pursuing their own perception
of their circumstances and inventing themselves accordingly. While this approach may not
adhere to traditional multicultural perceptions and social constructs, it still functions as a means
with which to legitimize and validate transnational identities. The focus, in this situation, is
instead on the individual within the group, not the group within the hosting culture.
Serdar and Hakan engage in a great deal of reflection on the realities of their minority
status in Germany throughout the novel. Like zdamar, Zaimolu uses specific semantic choices
and code-switching techniques in the dialogue between Serdar and Hakan to help illustrate
underlying attitudes behind understandings of Turkish-German identity. Code-switching, an

26

Cheesman, Tom. Akcam Zaimolu Kanak Attack: Turkish Lives and Letters in German. German Life and
Letters. Volume 55 No. 2. April 2002. 180-195. 187

43

alternation between languages, can take the form of entire sentences in another language, short
translations, or even single words.
Manchmal frag ich mich, Alter, was wir eigentlich in Almanya suchen, wir sind
Anatolier mit schiefen Herzen..., weit du Kumpel, du kannst n Kanaken nicht
zivilisieren...doch Almanya ist liberal und duldet solche Schleimkrtchen wie dich an
seinem groen Busen...(179).
As in zdamars works Zaimolus characters make archaic references to their heritage and their
surroundings. Germany is referred to as Almanya while they identify themselves as
Anatolier. Anatolia refers to the peninsula of Southwest Asia often called Asia Minor, which is
comprised of the greater Asian part of the modern country of Turkey, but not its European
portion. Regardless of having been born and raised in the most central/western portion of
Europe, Germany feels unwelcoming and foreign to these characters. Using the term Anatolier
(who require civilizing, no less) is indicative of feelings of marginalization. Identifying the host
country as Almanya has similar implications. The host country is viewed as distant and
unfamiliar.
However, Hakan suggests, in the same quotation, that Germany has patience for
foreigners like Serdar, who make concerted efforts to assimilate to traditional German cultural
precepts. Instances like this in the novel are prime examples of Zaimolus criticism of
contemporary German politics vis--vis its minorities. A popular political movement in Germany
during Zaimolus time was the notion of the German Leitkultur (driving/leading culture.) The
movement suggested that the only way to reconcile the immigrant question in Germany was to
require a strict assimilation to an elaborate outline of German norms and traditions. This policy
suggests that Serdar, an ethnic minority figure who has assimilated to mainstream German
culture, would be a well-adjusted citizen with feelings of belonging and security in Germany.

44

However, not only does Serdar share Hakans sentiments of disconnect with his German identity,
at the end of the novel, Serdars and Hakans roles are switched. Serdar becomes preoccupied
with a fruitless love affair in Turkey, causing him to regress to similar juvenile and delinquent
behaviors for which he was once so critical of Hakan, while Hakan becomes his Laterne im
dunklen Wald, providing him with guidance and wisdom (268). Not only does Zaimolu disrupt
traditional misconceptions of Turkish-Germans with his characters, he then challenges his
characters seemingly secure roles, depicting both Serdar and Hakan as being capable of
embodying each others characteristic strengths and weaknesses.
Zaimolu rejects, in many respects, the confining traditional definitions and perceptions
of German culture as well as the narrowly defined identities that accompany such perceptions.
Additionally, one key aspect of Zaimolus literature is to establish the authority and legitimacy
of Turkish-Germans as members and contributors to contemporary German culture, society, and
history. He seeks this confirmation from his German audiences and journalistic counterparts by
displaying authority over traditional German literary style. As an author in the German language,
this validation, at times, takes form in Zaimolus keen mastery and application of complex
German language, structure and style, and in the case of Liebesmale, Scharlachrot some
seemingly unavoidable parallels with traditional German Romanticism, more specifically, the
Bildungsroman. A key aspect of the German Bildungsroman are the protagonists Bildung (or
growth and education) through different stages of a journey. This journey is often a journey
through space and time, and is motivated and marked by personal reflection, growth and
maturation, in the form of letter, prose, poetry, anecdote, philosophical reflection, and free
associations of dream and memory.27

27

Seyhan, Writing Outside the Nation 66

45

The most obvious parallel to German Romanticism is the structure of Liebesmale,

Scharlachrot as an epistolary novel, indicative of a very traditional and romantic literary
construction. Additionally, the nature of Serdars traveling to his familys native Turkey provides
the setting for the reflective journey from ones home, archetypical of much of Germanys
romantic literature of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His letters to Germany reflect on the
social hardships of the marginalized Turkish-German population, as well as more personal
thoughts on love, sex, and life. In addition, Serdar writes poetry and concerns himself with the
philosophical and psychological motivations behind his best friends delinquent behavior. Serdar
quickly emerges as the enlightened sojourner, the archetypal romantic protagonist. With such a
literary construct, Zaimolu has displayed his knowledge and authority of traditional German
literature. The irony of Zaimolus style, however, appears in his subsequent application of
traditional structure to introduce content, which in turn directly rejects the confines of
mainstream (traditional, if you will) social and cultural stereotypes and norms in Germany. This
process is, again, the crux of Ziamoglus literary agenda; establishing a foundation of authority,
upon which to critique German politics and social constructs while supporting notions of
legitimized and individualized transnational Turkish-German identities. In other words, he is
working within a literary tradition to critique traditional cultural views.
German Amok
Zaimolu demonstrates his literary virtuosity with a very different writing style and
structure in his novel German Amok. He uses an assortment of different structures in this
narration, including long passages of the narrators personal contemplations, accompanied by
many sections of bulleted dialogue. Within this structure, he directs his first-person narrator and
protagonist, an unsuccessful Berlin artist, in an ideological confrontation with the Berlin Art

46

scene and cultural milieu, condemning its superficiality and the economic opportunists who
promulgate it. This protagonist, an educated, calculated, and self-proclaimed Abitur-Trke (high
school educated Turkish-German citizen), provides an aggressively critical and utilitarian
observation of the world of Berlins artistic elite, and develops his role as an exotic immigrant,
exploiting the novelty of his otherness. In this work Zaimolus uses a graphic, erotic, and
obscene style, which borders on the pornographic, and indirectly reflects a number of traditional
motifs found in Turkish-German literature. In this work, Zaimolu pursues a drastically different
approach to the discussion of identity than many of his literary counterparts.
The novel begins with the protagonist attending the showing of a fellow artist in a gallery
in Berlin. The crowd and exhibition are eccentric and the protagonist is, from the very beginning,
highly critical and honest. He describes the audience as the Berliner Kulturpest, and the art
critics as apathetic and useless (12). In response to the art itself, the protagonist states:
Ich sage: Hier habt ihr euer unverkufliches Exemplar, auf das ihr so lange habt warten
mssen. Es wird in keinem Museum der Welt ausgestellt werden, denn noch heute nacht
werden wir es abfackeln wie ein totes Baby, und es wird gut brennen, so gut, dass es
keine Rckstnde hinterlassen wird. Meine Kunst besteht darin, den Profitwerbern und
Kunstliebhabern meinen Arsch zu zeigen. Kein Scheck der Welt rettet den Teddybr...
(14).
The protagonist condemns the meaningless intentions and auspices behind the art. He regards the
quality of the art as disposable and insignificant, and is disgusted by the claimed artistic
inspirations. He adds later, Die Naturen der Kunstler in diesem abgewrackten Erlebniszentrum
drngen auf Ausbeutung (22). He views art as a solely capitalistic endeavor. The narrator does
not pretend to be concerned with the artistic integrity of his own work either, and even admits to
his own opportunistic exploitation of the vulnerability of pretentious art enthusiasts. Zaimolus
perspective represents an even broader criticism of German culture in general. As mentioned

47

previously, the notion of a German Leitkultur, a set of German values, norms, and traditions
(purely Christian-occidental), became a popular political debate in Germany in the year 2000
(around the time of the publication of German Amok). The notion of a German Leitkultur was
introduced in an attempt to aid in the integration and assimilation of minority groups in
Germany, while simultaneously preserving German culture and tradition from foreign cultural
influences. Zaimolu uses German Amok as a platform from which to give his perspective on the
true nature of German culture during this time of fervent political debate surrounding Germanys
immigrant question.
In the above example Zaimolu uses a crass observation to shed light and to criticize a
large component of traditional German culture, namely art. The art in question is distasteful and
despicable, and the German artists, critics, and enthusiast even more so. They are characterized
as being artificial and opportunistic. Zaimolu successfully draws attention away from the
questions surrounding Turkish minority groups in Germany (typical of Turkish-German
literature) by shedding a critical light on the disparities of traditional German culture. This is a
direct attack on the notion of Leitkultur. Zaimolu, himself an immigrant, writes with authority,
linguistic mastery, and unwavering crudeness on the nature of German culture, something long
thought to be reserved only for German natives. Subsequently, the nature and position of the
novel itself becomes an argument for Turkish-German agency in German society. The
implications of Zaimolus criticism, in and of itself, burst the seams of mainstream minority
dialogue in Germany, and even the traditional approach of Turkish-German literature. Zaimolu
has invoked, unapologetically, his German perspective, social position, and critique. He does not
ask or argue for legitimization, instead he simply displays his self-proclaimed legitimacy as an
agent of both the Turkish and German cultures.

48

As mentioned in the discussion of Liebesmale, Scharlachrot, a number of Zaimolus

literary methods reflect, to a degree, traditions in German literature. More romantic aspects were
present in Liebesmale, Scharlachrot, whereas German Amok exhibits many components of
naturalism and expressionism. Zaimolus literary agenda is to speak critically to the true nature
of a particular cultural group in Germany. He achieves this through a very naturalist portrayal,
which paints for the reader a very explicit image, blaringly honest, leaving little or nothing to the
imagination. Aspects of German expressionism can be seen in his vivid depictions of grotesque
sexual encounters and instinctual behaviors. This primal approach focuses attention on the
essential characteristics of our human nature, in such a way that the reader is left uncomfortable
and shocked. Turkish-German scholar Leslie Adelson comments that Zaimolus approach is to
write in the spirit of demystification, to point the way to what he calls a new realism.
Zaimolu presents his cast of characters as a kind of underworld, a substratum of reality that
reflects a deeper truth about contemporary German society.28 Zaimolus method is intended to
discredit the claim to cultural superiority. Those who are highly esteemed, when compared to
those viewed as marginalized or discriminated, essentially share the same instinctual desires and
grotesque thoughts and behaviors. It is a unique method of addressing the issue of identity and
discrediting notions of social status and supremacy.
In German Amok Zaimolu presents characters in their most basic and primal forms;
overwhelmed and controlled by sexual desires, and lacking virtually any and all consideration of
a moral code. In a conversation between the narrator and a Muslim friend of his, the following
dialogue ensues.
-Wir leben hier in einem anderen Kulturkreis. Der Mann darf der Frau nicht das Gefhl
geben, dass er sie nur zum Reinhau..., ja zum Reinhauen benutzt.
28

Adelson, Leslie A. Touching Tales of Turks, Germans, and Jews: Cultural Alterity,
Literary Riddles for the 1990s. New German Critique. 80 (2000): 93-125. 124

Historical Narrative, and

49

-Du haust doch auch mit deinen vielen Freundinnen rein, oder nicht? Alle Kulturkreise
hauen rein, also erzhl mir nichts (43).
These two men describe sexual encounters as basic and dispensable. They are constantly
preoccupied with and motivated by sexual pleasure, and exhibit no further personal or emotional
enrichment from a sexual encounter other than its purely utilitarian benefit. The narrator argues
however, that all cultural milieus in the world share this particular behavior and mindset. While
some critics profess that Zaimolus crass language and professions in German Amok deserve no
literary merit, they serve a unique purpose in the context of minority literature vis--vis a
hegemonic culture. By taking a variety of characters (foreign, German, artists, priests, Christians,
Muslims, men, women, old, young, gay, straight, successful, unsuccessful, etc.) and showing
only their most basic desires, practices, and opportunistic motivations, Zaimolu creates an aray
of very different characters who share many of the same impulsive human characteristics. In
rejecting a highfalutin Leitkultur as a tool for assimilation in this critique of the German cultural
scene, he extrapolates key human characteristics which connect everyone, however basic they
may be. In an indirect way, this becomes an argument for tolerance. The otherness of those of
Turkish heritage has often been thought to be an insurmountable challenge in the efforts to
resolve the immigrant question in Germany. Zaimolu reminds us in his very aggressive style,
how fundamentally similar we are, regardless of national origins or socioeconomic class.
Conclusion
Zaimolu pursues many of the same objectives that zdamar does. Most importantly, these two
authors seek to show the facility of multicultural Turkish-German figures to exercise social,
cultural, and political authority in Germany. Zaimolu rejects, however, many of the traditional
approaches of Turkish-German literature. He attacks contemporary constructions of

50

multiculturalist societies and their narrow categorizations and cultural definitions, as well as
endorsements of exoticism found in Migrantenliteratur and the ineffectual lamentations of
Gastarbeiterliteratur. Tom Cheesman says of Zaimolus literature, The mainstream discourse
of multiculturalism talk of the Other, cultural difference, identity and hybridity comes
under vehement attack in Zaimglus work because of its use in deflecting attention from plain
social and political injustice.29 As asserted in the discussion above, Zaimolu very
unapologetically displays himself as an agent of both the Turkish and German cultures. He is not
so much concerned with justifying a case for transnational identity, but instead, for asserting the
legitimacy of transnational Turkish-Germans simply by the merit of their histories and their
conditions. In order to achieve this, he disrupts any narrow definitions of the minority groups,
which make up Germanys multicultural society, particularly Turkish-Germans. Cheesman adds,
To oppose the identitarian regime which fixes individuals as representatives of
constructed groups, it is not sufficient merely to object that one is an individual: it is
necessary to subvert the multiculturalist discourse of identity by devices which include
the aggressive over-fulfillment of stereotypical expectations.30
This approach is one centerpiece of Zaimolus literature. As seen both in Liebesmale,
Scharlachrot and German Amok, he magnifies the characteristics of stereotypical TurkishGerman identity, as well as native German identity. This approach has a satirical effect as a
result of its exaggerations. Likewise, Zaimolu introduces characters who display equally
polarizing characteristics on the opposite end of the social and cultural spectrum. This includes
the assimilated and enlightened Turkish-German and the primal and unsophisticated German
artist. Zaimolus use of extremes helps to substantiate his argument for the destruction of
widely adopted and confining ideas of multiculturalism. His characters disturb the mainstream
29

Cheesman, Tom. Akcam Zaimolu Kanak Attack: Turkish Lives and Letters in German. German Life and
Letters. Volume 55 No. 2. April 2002. 180-195. 186
30
Cheesman, Akcam Zaimolu Kanak Attack 187

51

understandings of transnational groups and individuals by either destroying stereotypes or

exaggerating them to the point of parody. Thus, Zaimolu makes a claim for the individualized
authority of transnational figures. Zaimolu then takes a further step by exercising this claim to
agency, and espousing his own transnational political and social viewpoint through his
characters.

52

Chapter V: Conclusion
A Look To The Future of Turkish-German Literature
The realities of globalization and migration continue to shape the cultural dynamics of
nations and peoples across the globe. As humans we desire to belong. This is no different for
those who straddle the identities of multiple cultures and backgrounds. Feridun Zaimolu and
Emine Sevgi zdamar are examples of such transnational and ethnic-minority figures who have
used the medium of literature to substantiate their own right to belong. The influx of minority
groups in Germany, especially Turks, have fundamentally altered the composition and nature of
Germany in the latter half of the 20th Century. This is something both zdamar and Zaimolu
wish to convey through their literature. Today, Turks in Germany are still faced with a great deal
of social and political opposition from much of mainstream German society. In an effort to
alleviate this resistance, Turkish-German authors use their literature to establish an argument that
validates the equal and unique significance of their identity and socio-cultural position in
Germany. In other words, they seek to substantiate and legitimize the voice of Turkish-Germans
in a land that is slowly coming to grips with the realities of globalization and the multicultural
societies it has created.
To aid in the effort to promote the cultural legitimacy of contemporary ethnic-minority
literature in Germany, some scholars are expressing sentiments, which parallel the efforts of
Turkish-Germans to improve the cultural opposition they face in Germany. More specifically,
some scholars are drawing historical parallels between Turkish-Germans and other important
German cultural groups in an effort to support the necessary consideration of Turkish-Germans
in any construction of contemporary mainstream German culture. Leslie Adelson, for example,
draws comparisons in her work Touching Tales of Turks, Germans, and Jews: Cultural Alterity,
Historical Narrative, and Literary Riddles for the 1990s, between the history of German Jews

53

and Turks in Germany. Turks being unable to identify with and share in the personal and
historical struggles of those who experienced Germanys wartime past, exemplifies some of the
opposition that Turkish-Germans face in contemporary Germany. By drawing parallels between
the experiences of German Jews and Turkish-Germans, however, Adelson makes an argument
that Turks should be understood as embodying a relevant and necessary component of German
history and, by extension, German culture. In another work, Adelson compares Turkish-German
literature to the German Wendelitertur (literature of reunification) following Germanys
reunification in 1990. Her comparisons focus on the reconciliation of a marginalized and
troubled past. For her, Turks in Germany have been faced with addressing a
Vergangenheitsbewltigung (a coming to terms with ones past) similar to many German groups,
be they pre-war German Jews, or post unification East and West Germans. By placing the
literary efforts of Turkish-Germans within this momentous literary movement in German history,
Adelson proposes that the experiences of Turkish-Germans be given equal attention in any truly
holistic analysis or understanding of contemporary changes or movements in Germany. Previous
analysis of zdamar and Zaimolus works concurs with Adelsons claim as to the relevance and
significance of Turkish thought and culture in modern Germany.
Adelson notes how few people draw or acknowledge the historical connection between
the erection of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 and the signing of the temporary labor
recruitment agreement between Turkey and Germany only months later. She writes how even
fewer Germans acknowledge Turks as intervening meaningfully in the discussion of
contemporary German history, despite the fact that Turks make up the largest national minority
within Germanys borders. Scholars like Adelson search to find a place for Turkish-Germans
within the context of contemporary German thought and culture. The authors I have analyzed,

54

Feridun Zaimolu and Emine Sevgi zdamar, use the medium of literature as a platform from
which to make their own argument for belonging on the contemporary German social and
cultural spectrum. Johanna Watzinger-Tharp writes,
The dissemination of Turkish German into larger German society and its gradual
recognition as a legitimate ethnic variety mirror the transformation of Germany into a
multicultural, multilingual society. Even though German immigration law may not
designate its citizens of Turkish descent as Turkish-German, or German-Turkish, the
ways in which they use the two languages to navigate German society indicate that this is
precisely what they are.31
Turkish-Germans wish to retain their cultural otherness while simultaneously substantiating
and legitimizing their place in German society. The literature I have analyzed shows how
Turkish-German authors seek, ultimately, to communicate the essence of their bifurcated
identity, and to show their relevance within any mainstream discussion of German history and
society. The works of Zaimolu and zdamar truly are contemplations on a changing and
globalizing German society.
Germany has long denied the foreigners, who reside within its borders, the social
opportunity and equity they deserve. The political impetus in Germany has largely favored the
elimination of the foreigner question, over trying to find appropriate solutions to its problems.
The historical lack of resources allotted for the advancement of immigrant groups in Germany
has resulted in an unwillingness to relinquish ones own cultural background in favor of being
German. The vicious cycle of marginalization and the resulting social struggles of minorities
continue to plague contemporary Germany. My analysis of Turkish-German literature finds that
the majority of Turkish-German authors continue to lament the struggles of their minority group.
This has very little difference from the Gastarbeiterliteratur of the 1960s. However, after more
closely analyzing the works of Zaimolu and zdamar, I have concluded that Turkish-German
31

Watzinger-Tharp 292

55

literature is taking on a new approach. I believe Turkish-German literature will, over time, focus
far less on grieving over the social opposition, and more on communicating, unrelentingly, the
unique realities of their group and their identity.
Just as zdamars narrator in Mutterzunge begins and concludes the arduous task of
identity-building with a journey through her ethnic roots and adopted surroundings, the journey
of Turkish-Germans is taking on a new form, which embraces all cultural elements of their
character. As in any transition, finding ones place in a society, which has traditionally rejected
them, entails a complex evolutionary process that requires mutual understanding and a
willingness to change, grow, and accept criticism. It is possible that the impetus for the greater
social and cultural recognition of Turks in Germany will come from satirical, critical, and inyour-face appeals for acceptance like those we see in Zaimolus literature. Others might be
moved by the less abrasive social and historical parallels between Turks and Germans drawn by
authors like zdamar. In any case, these authors are both unapologetic and assertive. They are
less concerned with pointing fingers of blame at the inhospitable German, and instead are
focusing their attention to the irrefutable contributions of Turkish-German citizens, and the
irrefutable commonalities between Turks and Germans. This is a significant step towards
inspiring the acceptance of Turkish-German transnationals, and providing the basis for both a
German and Turkish-German reconciliation of Germanys longstanding and divided foreigner
question.

56

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Zaimolu , Feridun. German Amok. Kiepenheuer & Witsch. Kln, 2002.

Zaimolu , Feridun. Liebesmale, Scharlachrot. Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch. Kln, 2002.
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