#60JahreMusik: Musical Echoes of the Stories of Germany’s Turkish Immigrants

As the Federal Republic of Germany rose from its ashes in the wake of the war that “we lost by proxy”, Turkey rushed in to fill the demand for a cheap workforce, following closely in the footsteps of Italy, Spain and Greece.

On October 30, 1961, a Labor Agreement was signed between Bonn, the capital at the time, and Ankara. It would transform Germany, transform cultures, and transform lives.

While the “guest workers” were originally scheduled to stay for two years, longer residence was expedited in 1964, and they were later allowed to bring their families. “Aliens” at first, the “guest workers” eventually became “citizens”.

How would the present day have looked from the vantage point of that first journey from Sirkeci Station to the München Hauptbahnhof? The third, even the fourth, generation to be born in Germany; our post-immigration society of over two and a half million of “Turkish descent” means that indeed the very question of ancestry, of where one’s native land is, has lost its urgency.

#60JahreMusic

This project is occasioned by the anniversary of that very Labor Agreement. During its run, we at istanbulberlin will be reading the six-decade-long history of the mass immigration from Turkey to Germany through the music. Because examining this history from various perspectives rooted in the present day may open up a space for encounters between different fractions and be the first step towards the right conditions for a dialogue we feel we sorely need. Because the stories we unearth may shine a light upon the circumstances that make up the present day. Because music is life. It touches and unites those from every walk of life.

Within #60JahreMusik, you’ll be hearing the united voice of two people: istanbulberlin’s founder Sedef İlgiç, based in Istanbul, and DJ Nazlı Sağdıç Pilcz aka Djane Funshine, based in Stuttgart.

Since the first day we disembarked on this project, spurred along by our personal curiosity, we have been encountering musicians we wished we had discovered sooner and songs and albums we wish had been more popular, and being privy to all kinds of musical stories. We’ve become acquainted with musicians, music critics, and academics, journalists and culture and arts professionals working in the fields of music and immigration. All the doors we knocked on were opened to us with attentiveness and enthusiasm for our project, and those who opened them kindly gave us their time and support, as well as their encouragement. Lucky us!

Finally, from July 2021 onwards, we will be sharing our efforts in the form of a series of articles, short anecdotes, interviews, playlists and ultimately a podcast.

We’ll be holding two project-related events in September, in Berlin and Istanbul respectively. We are absolutely stoked for this first step in opening up physical spaces for encounters.

Lastly, we anticipate a book feature.

You can find all content related to the project here, and follow istanbulberlin via its social media accounts and the istanbulberlin Route.

As we share all this with you, will you share with us your ideas and suggestions, as well as any stories you have that you would like us to share?

We look forward to hearing from you.