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Pictures from the meeting in Berlin

More pictures (thx to Viorica)

Preliminary programme - Ethnicity in Berlin

Venue: Three Little Pigs Hostel Berlin, Stresemanstraße 66, Berlin 10963, Germany, Telephone: +49 (0)30 - 32 66 29 55, Fax: +49 (0)30 - 32 66 29 56, http://www.three-little-pigs.de

Friday 18. June 2010
until 16:00 – arrival to the hostel, checking-in
16:00 – 16:15 – Introduction to the overall idea of research seminars (Ondrej Daniel, Multicultural Centre Prague)
16:15 – 16:30 – Ethnicity in Berlin (topics to focus on, Bjoern Jungius, Rejs e.V.)
16:30 – 17:15 – Quick presentation of the participants and advisors
17:15 – 18:00 – Lucia Ilieva - Roma Settlements in Bulgaria and in Western Europe
18:00 - 18:15 - Break
18:15 - 19:00 - Dušan Ugrina - (Ex-)Yugoslav Communities in Europe and Berlin
19:00 – 19:45 – Ezgi Haliloglu Kahraman – Turkish Communities in Europe and Berlin
19:45 – 20:30 – Viola Donata Rauch – Children of Migrants in Berlin

Saturday 19 June
9:00 – 9:30 – Logistics of the research seminar (Ondrej Daniel, Multicultural Centre Prague and Bjoern Jungius, Rejs e.V.)
9:30 – 10:00 – Andreas Kapphahn – title of the lecture to be confirmed
10:00 – 10:30 – Discussion
11:00 – 13:00 – Alternative City Walk (Kreuzberg)
13:00 – Lunch
Emergeandsee media arts festival, Stattbad Wedding (optional)
Theme: Hybrid metropolis - in between spaces, http://blog.emergeandsee.org/
Afternoon – research (individual or in groups)
20:00 – Dinner

Sunday 20 June
All day – research (individual or in groups)
Dr. Andreas Langer - Nature Park Südgelände Berlin Walk (optional)
20:00 – Dinner

Monday 21 June
8:30 – 12:00 – Quick presentations of the research outcome
12:00 – 12:30 – Advisors comments
12:30 – 13:00 – Feedback, planning, sustainibility

Radka Svačinková - Turkish Muslims in Berlin

In my research, I would like to focus on Muslims of Turkish origin living in Berlin. In the methodological part of my research, I will determine and classify who may be referred to as a Muslim (of Turkish origin). I shall answer a methodological, rather tricky, question - how do we classify such a person? Can a Muslim be called someone who attends the mosque on Friday night and maintain his or her religious duties according to the Islamic tradition, or may we call a Muslim someone whose family is of Muslim background?

In the second part, the research will discuss both the ethnicity and religious beliefs of those whom we may refer to as Muslims, as the two aspects are connected. Therefore the second part of my research will be consisted of two partial areas. In the first subarea, I will analyze statistics and academic researches regarding ethnicity and religiosity of Turkish Muslims in Germany, particularly in Berlin, with a closer look at a process of integration, the theories of multiculturalism etc. and their execution in the reality with an aim to find out how (or if) the process of integration has an direct impact on religious and ethnic self-perception of Turkish Muslims. In the second subarea, I will conduct a field research by means of direct interviews in which I will analyze how (or if) Turkish Muslims maintain their religion and ethnic self-determination in a country with Christian and Germanic majority, provided the fact that Berlin is a multireligious and multicultural city. In my interviews, I will attempt to explore religious needs and possible satisfaction/dissatisfaction, measure of integration, communication evaluation with institutions and non-governmental organization that work with Turkish Muslims (both German and non-German citizens).
Based on the interviews and the analysis of scientific researches, I will consequently distinguish means of integration within the society, possible obstacles or advantages of such an act and other specifications of the Turkish Muslims’ self-perspective.

Some pictures from the meeting in Vienna

Thanks to Sylvia Stancheva

Eszter György - Kreuzberg and Josephstadt

Kreuzberg and Józsefváros (Josephstadt): city quarters in Berlin and in Budapest, where social and urban questions of disadvantaged situation, spatial segregation, different ethnic backgrounds, special educative and cultural programs for integration are quite apparent.

In my research, I would like to compare the social rehabilitation works of Quartiersmanagement of Kreuzberg and the Magdolna-project in the 8th district of Budapest. Both of these city planning programs have been launched at the same time, in 2005 and both provide social participation, integration and development of „difficult” neighborhoods or, put differently, of districts with special development needs. Naturally, it would be a much greater work to analyze in parallel the two programs, and as our research in the frame of the seminar could only be quite restricted, I will simply focus on some points, which, nevertheless, will hopefully reflect on the most important themes of public participation-based district-development.

By interviewing some members of Quartiersmanagement and by observing their work related to the neighbourhood council, I will concentrate on their program themes such as thedistrict culture, the integration of diverse social and ethnic groups, the living environment and public space and the image improvement and public relations.

I hope that by getting closer to the patterns and methods used in Kreuzberg, I can also approach from new perspectives the development projects in the 8^th district, whose social history and identity-building is the question of my PhD in Budapest.

http://www.quartiersmanagement-berlin.de

http://www.rev8.hu/eng.php

József street, 8th district, Budapest

My fest 2009, Kreuzberg, Berlin

http://www.quartiersmanagement-berlin.de/Zentrum-Kreuzberg-Oranienstrasse.99.0.html

Sebastien Gobert - Embassies and ethnicity

Berlin is one of the few places in the world where international embassies are more than diplomatic representations. Indeed, many of them are not just located in pre-existing buildings rented out by foreign governments, as it is the case in most capitals of the world. Following the fall of the Wall and the reunification of the city, Berlin became the capital of unified Germany in summer 1999. Part of the extensive reconfiguration of the urban space was dedicated to building and renovating 'official' edifices to host an entire set of governmental, administrative and diplomatic services. Such a process allowed many foreign governments to build and design their own embassies out of stratch, thus turning their representations into national showcases.
My research focuses on the exhibition and promotion of national and ethnic characteristics through the architectural design of some foreign embassies in Berlin. The way these charateristics are displayed reflects some common understandings on so-called 'national' features these countries wish to promote and be associated with. The embassies of South Africa, India or else Egypt seem to be designed quite explicitely for this purpose. It might as well be interesting to investigate the political dimension of some of the diplomatic buildings, such as the Russian one (still referring explicitely to the Soviet times) or the Nordic embassies (a 'Scandinavic' building hosts the representations of Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden).
I wish to replace this research in the context of the restructuration of the urban space, since many embassies are located on former segments of the dividing wall and no man's land. I also intend to use the results of my investigation in understanding the renewed strength of Berlin as one of the major European and world capital cities.

Tools/Methods:
Observation of a selection of embassies (Tiergarten, Mitte);
Internet sources on the buildings and architectural styles;
Interviews with members of the embassies' staff and specialists (if possible on weekends)